Congress Worker Killed; Party Points Accusing Finger At TMC

A day after a Congress worker was shot dead in West Bengal's Murshidabad district in the run up to the panchayat election, the party on Saturday alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress was behind the murder.

Fulchand Sheikh, 45, was attacked by TMC's goons when he was playing cards in Ratanpur village on Friday, his family members alleged. Sheikh was rushed to Kandi Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Two other persons were injured in the attack, police said. The TMC denied it has any role in the incident. Police said investigations into the case are on and two persons are being interrogated in this connection.

"This is a clear indication that the TMC is trying to win the panchayat polls by using muscle power. What is the use of ballot if TMC wants to win with bullets," state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

Sheikh was killed on the first day of filing nominations for the July 8 Panchayat elections. "The TMC is trying to intimidate Congress workers ahead of the panchayat polls," Chowdhury claimed.

A Murshidabad district Congress leader said Sheikh received six bullets. The two injured persons were also Congress workers, he claimed. Local leaders of the TMC claimed that personal rivalry was behind the killing and the Congress is trying to add political colour to it.