Feud runs deep at Birbhum village
The Hindu
Family of those who died in fire allege that women were attacked and tortured before being killed
Two groups of villagers waited for hours before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came to Bogtui village in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Thursday.
While the relatives of Bhadu Sheikh, the Trinamool Congress deputy pradhan who was killed on Monday, returned to the village and waited outside their house in a tent that was erected by the government, another group of people, relatives of the eight people who were burnt to death following the Trinamool Congress leader’s murder, waited, about 100 meters away in front of the house where women and children were charred to death.
On the road approaching the village, a grand gateway and cutouts welcoming the Chief Minister were erected. Photographs of the Chief Minister and the local MLAs were displayed and some flags of the State ruling party were also put up. Water tankers sprinkled water to clean the dusty village road.
Compensation
Ms. Banerjee inspected the houses burned down in Monday’s violence and said, “ I condemn both the murder and burning people to death”. Surrounded by the families of those who died in the fire, she announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh per affected family and ₹2 lakh to each family for reconstructing their houses that were burned down. She also promised jobs to a member of each affected family.
While relatives of the deceased women and children, including Mihilal Sheikh who lost his wife and child, continued with their demand for justice and pressed for action against the perpetrators of the crime, the Chief Minister blamed Trinamool Congress block president for Rampurhat Block I Anarul Hossain.
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