BJP leader found hanging from tree, party demands CBI probe
What's the story
In a shocking incident in West Bengal's Bankura, a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Subhadeep Mishra, was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Wednesday.
Mishra, who participated in the recent three-tier panchayat elections, had been missing for a week.
Locals in Nidhirampur village discovered his body with his hands tied.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Mishra's killing, accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of being behind it.
Details
BJP workers protest against killing
The incident led to tension in the area and triggered a blame game in West Bengal.
Following the incident, BJP workers in Bankura demonstrated against the TMC government and local administration.
Upon the arrival of police to retrieve Mishra's body, local BJP representative Chandana Bauri from Saltora staged a protest. He, along with his supporters, refused to hand over Mishra's body to the police.
He even blocked the police vehicle from taking the deceased leader's remains.
Twitter Post
Watch: Visuals of protest by BJP workers
#WATCH | BJP workers in West Bengal's Bankura hold protest against TMC govt and local administration after the death of a BJP worker in Nidhirampur village of the district pic.twitter.com/sMBJUbi9LR — ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2023
What Next?
BJP's Adhikari demands CBI investigation, questions police's role
Adhikari, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, has called for a CBI investigation into Mishra's killing.
He alleged that his murder was the handy work of criminals affiliated with TMC due to his growing popularity.
Adhikari also questioned Bankura District Police Superintendent Vaibhav Tiwari's role in the killing.
"District Police units are nothing but Trinamool Congress cadres in uniform," he alleged.
History
Similar incident involving BJP leaders' killing
This is not the first time that purported political killings have occurred in West Bengal.
In June, BJP booth president Dipak Samanta was found hanging in his residence in Balpai village in Paschim Medinipur district. Similar incidents were reported in July.
This came amid rising violence in the state during panchayat polls. The BJP blamed TMC for the incidents, while the ruling party denied it.