The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP,) called for a 12 hour bandh (shut down) in Barrackpore area of West Bengal.
The 12 hour bandh is called after the killing of Manush Shukla, member of the BJP’s Barrackpore organisational district committee and a former councilor.
On the evening of the 4th of October, Manish Shukla was shot dead. The incident took place nearly 20 km from north Kolkata at 8:30 P.M., when he was speaking with some locals and party workers near a local police station at a tea point.
According to eyewitnesses, a few men on motorcycles suddenly drove up to Manish Shukla and shot him with bullets on head, chest and back.
Initially he was rushed to a private hospital in Barrackpore and later was shifted to a hospital in Kolkata. He was declared dead at 9:20 P.M., on the 4th of October.
The incident created chaos and panic in Barrackpore as BJP supporters started protesting.
Team of police rushed to control the situation as the BJP supporters asked Barrackpore Police Commissioner Manoj Verma and Additional Commissioner Ajay Thakur to find the accused and rest.
The BJP blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the killing.
The BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya described Manish Shukla as “a close associate of BJP’s Barrackpore Member of Parliament (MP) Arjun Singh” and blamed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for his death.
Mr. Vijayvargiya said, “We have no faith on the police. As the killing happened in front of the police station, there has to be some link. There should be a CBI probe into it. Arjun Singh had said earlier his life and those of his associates were in danger.” He further added, “I regret Mamta Banerjee that you are resorting to such tactics. The people will never forgive you.”
However, the TMC denied the allegations and blamed the incident to be an internal conspiracy of the BJP.
A TMC leader, who wished anonymity said, “It is a fight within their party and everyone knows in the vicinity.”
Meanwhile, Jagdeep Dhankar, the Governor of Bengal, in regard to the incident summoned the DGP (Director general of police) and the Home Secretary to West Bengal to the Raj Bhavan at 10:00 A.M., on the 5th of October.
The West Bengal Governor in a tweet said, “ACS Home @MamataOfficial and DGP @WBPolice have been summoned at 10 am tomorrow in the wake of worsening law and order situation leading to dastardly killing of Manish Shukla, Councillor, Titagarh Municipality in political party office.”
It is noted, Mr. Shukla was a leader of the TMC in 2019 and later joined the BJP.
The 12 hour bandh started on the morning of the 5th of October.
Stay tuned for further updates.
