Trinamool leaders resort to blame game over Rampurhat massacre

Nine persons were burnt to death in the violence triggered by the killing of a local party leader

Senior leaders of the Trinamool Congress are indulging in a blame game over the Rampurhat massacre. On Thursday, Trinamool Congress district president Anubrata Mondal said he wanted to remove Anarul Hossain, block president of the party’s  Rampurhat Block, but did not go ahead after a request from  Asish Banerjee, Deputy Speaker in the West Bengal Assembly.

Anarul Hossain was arrested on March 23 after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed him for the violence in which nine persons were burnt to death. Mr. Mondal said not only did Asish Banerjee, who is Rampurhat MLA, request him to let Anarul continue in his post, he gave him a written undertaking as well. 

Reacting to Mr. Mondal’s remark, Mr. Banerjee said retaining Anraul Hossain as the block president was a “collective decision”.

TMC Minister and senior party leader Firhad Hakim refused to respond to the question on differences in the party. “We  have to move forward from Rampurhat and stand by the people,” Mr. Hakim said.

The differences between Trinamool Congress leaders is surfacing  when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)  is trying to expand the ambit of the probe by also looking at the murder of a local Trinamool Congress leader which led to the violence. It was the murder of Bhadu Sheikh, a Deputy Pradhan of the local gram panchayat on March 21 that triggered the violence at Bogtui village and several houses were set on fire.

The CBI was handed over the investigation into the violence at Bogtui on March 25 by the Calcutta High Court. Investigators are scanning CCTV footage at the State-run hospital where Bhadu Sheikh’s body was brought.