Bengal BJP worker’s body found in lake with limbs tied

BERHAMPORE/MIDNAPORE: The body of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was found floating in a lake in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Monday, prompting party national president Amit Shah to blame the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the incident.

It comes a month after two BJP workers were found de- ad in the state’s Purulia district.

The hands and feet of Dharmaraj Hazra, 54, were found bound when his body was recovered fr- om the lake in Shaktipur village, police said. “We have launched an investigation,” said an officer who did not wish to be named.

The BJP’s Bengal unit tweeted a photo of Hazra’s body on Monday evening, adding: “Dhormo Hazra, Dalit (Chest thumping liberals, please take a note) killed by TMC goons in Murshidabad, West Bengal. Yes, his hands were tied and thrown into pond to die with unbearable pain, Why? He was a BJP worker. In West Bengal reason enough to be killed by ruling party terrorist.”

West Bengal has a long history of political violence. The BJP is seeking to make political gains in the state where chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress was re-elected in 2016.

The BJP’s district president (north) Gouri Shankar Ghosh accused the ruling party’s leaders of “eliminating BJP workers” and alleged that Hazra had been “receiving threats from Trinamool-backed goons since the panchayat elections for supporting the BJP”.

Shah also attacked the TMC in a tweet, saying: “TMC shames humanity, yet again. Another BJP karyakarta killed in the most barbaric manner. In Mamata’s regime, West Bengal has become an epitome of violence & brutality. Entire BJP stands firmly with Dhormo Hazra’s family in this hour of grief.”

Trinamool MLA from Shaktipur, Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, denied the BJP’s charge, saying he was certain that no worker of his party was associated with the crime.

The incident comes a month after the bodies of Trilochan Mahato and Dulal Kumar were found in two villages of Purulia on May 31 and June 2.