‘We’ll Observe Black Day’, Says BJP’s Rahul Sinha; Calls 12-hour Bandh in West Bengal Tomorrow

BJP's Rahul Sinha tweeted on Sunday that police couldn't prevent the murders and are now stopping us from cremating the bodies.

Kolkata: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s General Secretary Rahul Sinha has called a 12-hour ‘bandh’ in Basirhat and in entire West Bengal on Monday, i.e., June 10. This comes in the wake of the clash between BJP and TMC workers on Saturday which claimed the lives of four party workers. Sinha reportedly said, “We will observe the black day.”

Meanwhile, security forces on Sunday stopped BJP leaders while they were taking the remains of the deceased workers to the party office following which they started raising slogans against the state government.

Rahul Sinha tweeted on Sunday, “We are also ready to proceed further under police cordon. What kind of rule is this? Democracy is being strangulated in this state.”

He added, “We have been stopped at three places. I have already assured that there will be no marches. We will peacefully take the bodies to the party office so that others can pay their tribute before their cremation at the designated place.”

Sinha also tweeted, “I have spoken to Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi, who has assured me that he will speak to senior officials. Police couldn’t prevent the murders and are now stopping us from cremating the bodies.”

Meanwhile, BJP MP from Hooghly Locket Chatterjee had threatened that the last rites will be done on the roads if the police don’t allow them to move forward. She said, “Families of the deceased want to take the bodies to the party office but the state police are stopping us. If the police don’t allow us to move to the office with bodies, then the last rites will be performed on the road.”

Four workers of the BJP were shot dead by members of the TMC in Basirhat’s Sandeshkhali area, BJP leader Mukul Roy has alleged. The deaths took place on Saturday during a clash between workers of the two parties in the city of North 24 Parganas. Violence broke out after TMC workers allegedly removed the flags with the BJP’s ‘lotus’ symbol from a building.

(With agency inputs)