The death of a CPI(M) panchayat samiti chief at Hasnabad in West Bengal triggered off a blame game with the main opposition alleging it was goons backed by Trinamool Congress who were behind the attack while the ruling party claimed that the killing was a result of an intra-party fight.
"Death is a death, be that of a CPI(M) man or of somebody from TMC. But if anyone dies in an internal fight, then why should TMC be blamed? It is not proper," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said at a rally at Katchari Maidan in Barasat of North 24-Parganas district.
"Shak diye mach dhaka jaina" (A truth cannot be suppressed by an untruth), she said, dismissing the CPI(M) allegation of TMC's involvement in the killing.
Urging the Opposition to help maintain law and order, she said, "The law will take its course".
West Bengal minister Food Minister Jyotipriya Mullick claimed that behind the death was an internal quarrel amongst CPI(M) district members and alleged that the party was trying to put the blame on TMC to reap political mileage ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Mullick, the TMC party observer for North 24 Parganas district, alleged that murdered CPI(M) panchayat samity chief Jahangir Alam had rivals within his party who were eyeing the post held by him.
The comments by Banerjee and Mullick came on a day when CPI(M) claimed it was miscreants sheltered by TMC who were behind the killing of the party leader in Hasnabad.
Former state finance minister and CPI(M) leader Asim Dasgupta also met Governor MK Narayanan at Raj Bhavan here seeking his intervention in the matter.
"We sought the Governor's intervention so that such cases are not repeated elsewhere in the state. It is not an isolated incident and we feel that it may take place elsewhere. The Governor expressed his concern," he said.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Narayanan, Dasgupta alleged that TMC had unleashed an episode of terror during recent panchayat elections in the state.
The party also organised a protest-meeting in the city on the issue.
Alam, the newly-elected sabhapati of a panchayat samiti at Hasnabad, was shot dead by miscreants at the Tokipur bazar area last night, police said.
