Naushad Siddique, the lone All-India Secular Front (AISF) representative in West Bengal Assembly, on Tuesday questioned the role of the police in the murder case of Trinamool Congress leader Saifuddin Lashkar at Jaynagar in South 24 Parganas district on Monday. Lashkar’s killing led to a counter-lynching and carnage on the same day.
“The manner in which an elected panchayat member of the ruling party became a victim of a pre-planned murder and how that incident resulted in a counter-lynching and carnage is unthinkable. This reveals the pathetic law and order situation in the state. What were the cops doing while the counter-lynching and carnage were taking place?” Siddique questioned while speaking to mediapersons on Tuesday evening.
He also drew a reference to the carnage at Bogtui in Birbhum district in March last year when as many as nine people were killed.
The Bogtui massacre is perceived as a revenge killing over the murder of local Trinamool Congress leader, Vadu Sheikh.
“The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) started an investigation on the Bogtui massacre. But the investigation did not progress much after some arrests. I think that the investigation in the Jaynagar massacre will also meet the same fate,” Siddique said.
He also said that the assassination of Lashkar was a result of Trinamool Congress’ infighting in the area. This is evident from the statement of the wife of the lynching victim, Sahabuddin Sheikh, who clearly said that her husband was actively associated with the Trinamool Congress.
“But what happened after that was clearly a case of pre-planned attacks against the people belonging to the Opposition parties, especially the CPI(M). The houses of CPI(M) activists in the area were chosen and set on fire. And all this happened in the presence of the police,” Siddique said.
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