Amid rumours of intra-party feud, a worker of West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) was shot dead and two others were injured when they were attacked at foundation stone laying ceremony of a road at Kaliachak in Malda on Tuesday morning.
Police said Hasa Sheikh,52, died at the spot while TMC’s local unit chief Bakul Sheikh and his brother Esaruddin Sheikh were admitted to a state-run hospital with bullet injuries.
The incident took place 12 days after another TMC leader Dulal Sarkar was chased and shot dead by a group of hitmen, allegedly hired by Sarkar’s colleagues in the party Narendranath Tiwari and Swapan Sharma. Sarkar’s murder was said to be a sequel to a rivalry within the party.
An officer of Kaliachak police station said the incident took place when Bakul, Esrauddin and Hasa were attending the ceremony. “Other TMC satraps and workers were also present at the venue. Initially an altercation started between Bakul and other TMC men who are known to be his rival in the party. Soon, a clash broke out between the two groups and bullets were fired. Hasa slumped on the ground as the bullet hit him. Bakul and his brother, too, tried to flee but could not as they were also hit by bullets. The attackers sped away without facing any resistance,” he said.
While being taken to the hospital, Esrauddin accused local TMC worker Zakir Sheikh and his followers for the attack.
Bakul and Zakir were earlier with the Congress, which counted Malda as its stronghold until a decade ago. The duo defected to the TMC two years ago.
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