Trinamool Congress has expelled a senior district leader for seeking a National Investigation Agency probe into the July 4 blast in Purba Burdwan, triggering sharp political exchanges and further scrutiny of the state police’s credibility.
Shuvendu Das, vice-president of TMC’s East Burdwan district unit, was removed from the party for life after he moved the Calcutta High Court demanding an NIA inquiry into the incident. The decision to expel him was made on the orders of party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, said district TMC president and Katwa MLA Rabindranath Chatterjee.
“On the orders of the party’s General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Shuvendu has been expelled permanently. His action amounts to anti-party activity,” Chatterjee stated.
The explosion took place in Rajua village while crude explosives were allegedly being handled. One person, Barkat Karigari from Nanur in Birbhum, was killed and three others injured. Among the injured was local resident Tufan Chowdhury, who remains hospitalised. Two other suspects fled the scene.
Thirteen people have been arrested so far. According to investigators, the group led by Tufan was allegedly planning a larger act of sabotage. The blast site is close to areas where illegal sand mining has been reported, with investigators suspecting a link to associates of a senior Trinamool functionary.
Also read: TMC worker hacked to death in Murshidabad, 4th in two weeks
Chatterjee, who claimed he may have been a target, had earlier said, “They had planned to eliminate me. The conspiracy was serious.”
Shuvendu Das, citing public interest, moved the High Court for an NIA inquiry, stating, “If the local MLA himself says there was a plot to kill him, then it is not safe to rely on the local police alone. I filed the case in public interest and for the safety of the common people.”
The party, however, did not take kindly to his independent move. “I don’t know why he filed the case. I reported the matter to the party leadership and it was then decided that he must be expelled,” Chatterjee said.
The BJP seized on the development, alleging that the incident demonstrated the ruling party’s own lack of trust in the police. “When TMC’s own leaders cannot trust the police, how can the common people? This clearly proves that the police are acting only to please the Chief Minister,” said a BJP leader from Katwa.
Police have since ramped up operations, and the main accused, Tufan Chowdhury, has been remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody by the Katwa court. A search of his home led to the seizure of two country-made pipe guns, three live cartridges, and nearly 2kg of explosive materials.
Follow us
