TMC worker killed in 'factional fighting', woman BJP leader attacked

Kolkata: A Trinamool Congress worker has been killed, while a local BJP leader has been seriously injured in separate incidents in Kolkata, police said on Sunday.

TMC worker Sanjeev Das, who was also known as Potla, was killed in Baguiati area allegedly in a clash between two factions of the party, a police officer said.

A confrontation took place in Arjunpur West Para in Baguiati on Saturday night, escalating into brick-batting by both sides, in which Das was severely injured and was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, the police officer said.

Eleven cases, including those related to the Arms Act, were earlier registered against Das, she said.

A total of 13 people have been arrested in connection with the incident, the officer said, adding further investigation is underway.

The deceased's family members alleged that TMC workers owing allegiance to the local councilor were behind the incident.

They claimed that Das was beaten with rods after being injured in brick-batting.

Meanwhile, a woman BJP leader, identified as Saraswati Sarkar, lodged a police complaint alleging that she was assaulted by TMC workers in Anandapur area in south Kolkata on Saturday night.

She claimed that she was attacked with sharp weapons when she and her party workers were putting up election banners and festoons, causing severe injuries to her head. She had registered a police complaint in the local police station.

Amit Malviya, BJP's IT cell head and co-in-charge of West Bengal, posted on X, "No woman is safe in West Bengal. Last night, TMC goons targeted Saraswati Sarkar, who serves as the BJP's Kasba Mandal president (in south Kolkata). The situation is further exacerbated by Mamata Banerjee's colossal failure as the Home Minister of Bengal. One can only imagine the severity of safety concerns in #Sandeshkhali if even Kolkata is not secure. The people of Bengal will undoubtedly respond to these heinous acts."

Malviya also shared a video where she is seen sitting in a police station, with her head bleeding profusely.

Sarkar later told reporters that two of her team members, who were putting up banners as part of the party campaign on Saturday night, were brutally beaten up by TMC workers.

"When I went to rescue them, I myself became a target of the TMC goons," she said.

West Bengal BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya claimed that Kolkata had earlier never witnessed such attacks on women, asserting that people of the state would give a "befitting reply to such atrocities".

Meanwhile, local BJP workers staged a protest in front of Anandapur police station, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible for the attack and alleged "lacklustre approach" of the law enforcers.

A TMC leader denied the involvement of the party in the incident but called for bringing those responsible to the book.

Voting will be held in the constituencies in Kolkata and its surrounding areas in the last phase on June 1.