AITC leader Joydeb Jana killed in Midnapore

09 April, Kolkata

A local Trinamool Congress leader Joydeb Jana was killed by unknown assailants near Purba Dubrajpur village in West Midnapore district ahead of the second part of first phase polling in West Bengal on April 11.

Police said Jana was returning from a campaign rally last night when he was allegedly attacked with bamboo sticks and iron rods by a group of people. He died on the spot

Trinamool Congress leader Nirmal Ghosh alleged that the attack was spearheaded by Manas Bhuinya and Congress-Left alliance workers. However, Bhuinya denied the allegations, saying he was campaigning at Pingla when the attack took place.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked for the Election Commission’s intervention.

“The EC must take appropriate action immediately. This is a result of Md Salim’s revenge remark. An innocent person lost his life,” she said blaming CPI(M) lawmaker Mohammed Salim.

“Woke up to the sad news of the cold-blooded, political murder of my co-worker Joydeb Jana in Sabang. The CPI(M), Congress and the BJP have more blood on their hands,” AITC Rajya Sabha leader and Chief National Spokesperson Derek O’Brien said in a statement.

O’Brien said, “Have spoken to my colleagues in West Midnapore district. They confirm that the murder was done without any provocation. The Congress, CPI(M) and the BJP know their campaign is having no impact on the ground. Hence they are resorting to ‘bloody tactics’ of vendetta.”