Bengal: TMC Worker Killed In 'Factional Fight', 13 Held, BJP Cries Foul As Woman Party Leader 'Attacked'

Thirteen people have been arrested in connection with the incident and further inquiries are underway.

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New Delhi: A Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker was killed and a local BJP leader was seriously injured in separate incidents in Kolkata, police said, reported news agency PTI.

TMC worker Sanjeev Das, also known as Potla, was killed in Baguiati amidst a clash between factions within the party, police said. According to a police source, the altercation erupted in Arjunpur West Para, escalating into a violent confrontation involving brick-batting. Das suffered severe injuries and succumbed to them upon arrival at the hospital.

Das also has a history of legal entanglements, including eleven cases under the Arms Act, police said.

Thirteen people have been arrested in connection with the incident and further inquiries are underway. Family members of the deceased have accused TMC workers linked to the local councillor, alleging that Das faced a brutal assault with rods following the initial altercation.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Saraswati Sarkar, a prominent BJP figure, recounted a harrowing ordeal in Anandapur, south Kolkata, wherein she was allegedly assaulted by TMC members while she and her party colleagues were putting up election banners on Saturday night.

She sustained severe head injuries from the attack, prompting her to file a formal complaint with the local police, PTI reported.

Sarkar recounted the brutal assault on her party colleagues preceding her own confrontation with TMC assailants.

BJP representatives condemned the incident, highlighting it as unprecedented in Kolkata's history and pledging a resolute response.

The BJP staged a protest outside the Anandapur police station, demanding swift action against the perpetrators. In response, a TMC spokesperson denied the party's involvement while urging authorities to hold the guilty parties accountable.

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."