By IANS,
Kolkata: Four people belonging to different political parties died in clashes in three districts of West Bengal Sunday, even as union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee asked the state government to take measures to stop the violence.
Two Congress activists, one Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) worker and another from the Trinamool Congress died in the clashes, police said.
A Congress supporter died during a clash in Islampur of North Dinajpur district, while a CPI-M worker was killed in Canning of South 24 Parganas district.
Violence erupted at Habra in North 24 Parganas district, after a Congress party worker and another owning allegiance to the Trinamool were murdered by unidentified assailants in broad daylight while returning from a blood donation camp.
While the state’s ruling Left Front major CPI-M blamed infighting among the Congress and Trinamool for the twin Habra murders, the opposition parties alleged that anti-social elements backed by the CPI-M were behind the killings.
“The state government has to ensure maintenance of peace. It also has to get the political parties to act with restraint,” said Mukherjee, who is also the state Congress president.
State Congress working president Pradip Bhattacharya said: “The goons of the CPI-M have murdered our leader as he was a very popular leader in the area.”
Trinamool leader and Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy accused the CPI-M of killing the duo and said his party has informed the union home ministry about the incident.
However, CPI-M central committee member Shyamal Chakraborty dismissed the allegations.
“Infighting between the Congress and the Trinamool led to the murders. They are blaming that CPI-M has done it but its totally untrue. It’s an old political tactic of the opposition in West Bengal,” Chakroborty said.
The Left Front, which has been ruling the state for 32 years, particularly the CPI-M, has been involved in a series of clashes with main opposition Trinamool and its ally Congress for control of political turf ahead of the 2011 assembly polls.
More than 150 people have died in political violence since the April-May Lok Sabha polls that saw the Trinamool decimate the Left Front.