AGARTALA: After a 40-year-old local leader of the CPI(M) died under mysterious circumstances in a village in South Tripura district, the party on Friday alleged that he was murdered by goons backed by the ruling BJP, a charge rejected by the saffron party.
Police said they have registered an unnatural death case.
Benu Biswas was found lying in a critical condition on a road at Kamalpur village under PR Bari police station on Thursday night.
His relatives took him to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
"There were no external injury marks. If any foul play is detected in postmortem examination, we will take legal steps," Superintendent of Police Dr Kulwant Singh said.
CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury alleged that Biswas was attacked by BJP-backed goons near a market in the village at around 7.30 pm.
Chowdhury claimed that at least 23 CPI(M) leaders and supporters were murdered for political reasons in the 47 months of the BJP-IPFT rule in Tripura.
"It means the state witnessed one political murder every two months. We condemn the murder of Benu Biswas and demand immediate arrest of all the culprits involved in the crime," he said.
BJP chief spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said that the police will investigate the incident impartially to reveal the truth.
"Any death is painful. We have an impartial administration under Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb. We are not concerned with the allegations of the CPI(M). It has become the Complaint Party of India," Chakraborty said.