KOLKATA: Three days after a Trinamool Congress leader was gunned down at Naoda, Murshidabad, another leader of the ruling party, former vice-chairman of Domkol municipality in the same district, and his son were attacked with rods and pistols on Sunday. Pradip Chaki and his son Shiladitya, who were admitted to a state-run hospital with serious injuries, were attacked two hours after a group of 90 odd local residents, beneficiaries of government schemes, staged demonstrations against him for taking cut-money from them.
The attack was said to be a fall out of the party’s internal conflict as Chaki, a week ago, had accused Domkol MLA Jafikul Islam of his own party of hatching conspiracy against him. Islam, however, refuted the allegation.
“According to a statement given by Chaki, a group of 20 men armed with iron rods and pistols attacked him. He received injuries on his head and chest. However, no bullet was fired in the attack,’’ said a police officer. “Chaki identified some of the attackers and a case of attempt to murder has been registered with Domkol police station,’’ he added. Police, however, are yet to ascertain whether the demonstrations by local residents had any role behind the attack.
Cut-money issue started embarrassing the ruling party after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in which the BJP made deep inroads in the state by bagging 18 Lok Sabha seats out of 42. In several districts across the state beneficiaries demonstrated in front of the satraps of the ruling party accusing them of collecting commission or cut-money in exchange of enrolling themselves in the list of beneficiaries of the government’s schemes. At many places, TMC leaders had to refund the money they had collected.
“Intra-party feud ahead of the panchayat polls scheduled to be held next year has caused massive embarrassment in the organisation,” said a TMC leader.