TENSION AFTER TRINAMOOL MLA SHOT DEAD

KOLKATA/MIDNAPORE: A Trinamool Congress MLA was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while attending an event in West Bengal’s Nadia district late on Saturday, triggering angry reactions from the party amid tension in the area.

Satyajit Biswas (37), a legislator from Krishnaganj, was shot dead around 7.30pm while he was attending a Saraswati Puja event at Phulbari, about 140 km from Kolkata, along with state minister Ratna Ghosh. The incident happened minutes after Ghosh left the venue.

Police said the attackers, who could not be immediately identified, merged with the crowd and fired multiple shots at Biswas from a close range when he was exiting the stage.

The sitting Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

“We have recovered the country-made revolver used to fire on the MLA,” said Rupesh Kumar, superintendent of police of Nadia district, adding that the gunmen managed to flee the spot after the crime. Trinamool leaders expressed anger soon after the attack. “Satyajit was a dear party colleague of mine. Words are failing me. Recently, BJP leaders have tried to create disturbance in the area and stoke tension. There was a carefully orchestrated plan to eliminate Satyajit that is designed to benefit the BJP,” alleged Trinamool Congress general secretary Partha Chatterjee. “The BJP is responsible. They are solely responsible. It has not happened in Bengal earlier,” said Anubrata Mondal, a TMC observer.