Udayan Guha demands the resignation of Vice-Chairman of National SC Commission

SILIGURI: Udayan Guha, minister, North Bengal Development Department reacting to the comments made by Arun Halder, the Vice-Chairman of the National Schedule Caste Commission, on BJP worker’s death in Dinhata Cooch Behar has challenged him to prove his words or resign from his post.

“The Vice-Chairman of National SC Commission said that the incident happened on my instructions. He has to give proof that I was involved in the incident. If he cannot do the same, he has to resign from his post. His speech was like a BJP leader, not as a government employee,” said the minister.

The Vice-Chairman on Monday had visited the house of late BJP leader Prashant Roy Basunia, who was shot dead in Shimultala, Dinhata three days back. He spoke to the family members of the deceased. Talking to media persons, Halder said:

“A political party has tortured him. The youth was murdered on the instructions of the MLA of Dinhata and a minister.”

He also expressed his anger at the absence of the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, Cooch Behar. He said that they will be summoned to Delhi as they were not present during his visit.

Guha waved off all these allegations, dubbing them as baseless. “The incident is under investigation. The reason behind the death could be an internal clash of the BJP. Or they themselves killed him to hide their illegal activities. As we saw a few days back, cannabis was recovered from an ambulance. People near Dinhata, close to

BJP have been arrested in the case,” added Guha.

He further stated that neither the TMC nor he have any connection with the incident. “Prashant Roy Basunia was an anti-social. He always carried firearms. The work of the National SC Commission is to provide facilities to the Schedule Caste people and work on their problems. However, the Vice-Chairman of the Commission is talking like a BJP leader. The work of all the National Commissions only butter the Central government,” retorted minister Guha.

According to the police and local sources, 30-year-old Prashant Roy Basunia was at home on the day of the murder. His mother had served him lunch.

A group of miscreants entered his house and shot him dead. Family members and locals rushed him to the Dinhata subdivision hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

‘His speech was like a BJP leader, not as a government employee’