West Bengal: TMC worker found dead in Nandigram, party accuses BJP of 'murder'

Kolkata, Dec 26 (PTI) The body of a Trinamool Congress worker was recovered from Nandigram in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, police said on Thursday.

The body of the deceased, identified as 52-year-old Mahadeb Bishoi of Nandigram Block 1 Gokulnagar panchayat area, was found in front of his tea stall inside a market in Brindaban Chowk on Wednesday night.

"It seems that the man was beaten to death. Both his legs were broken. There were injury marks on his hands. We have received a complaint from his family and a probe has been initiated," a senior police officer told PTI.

TMC claimed that BJP workers "murdered" Bishoi and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits.

"He was an active worker of the party. BJP supporters killed him. A few days ago, another party member was killed. I demand strict action against the guilty," Bappaditya Garg, president of Nandigram 1 block of TMC, told PTI.

Rubbishing TMC’s claims, the BJP said Bishoi’s death was the result of the party’s infighting and that the saffron party had no role in it.

"There is no political rivalry behind this. Yesterday, there was a picnic where they had consumed alcohol, after which there was a fight following which Bishoi was murdered," Meghnagh Paul, general secretary of BJP’s Tamluk unit, said. PTI