A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was found dead in West Bengal’s Purulia district on April 18 morning. The worker’s body was found hanging from a tree at Senabona village under Arsha police station in Purulia. The deceased has been identified as a 22-year-old Sisupal Sahis, whom BJP claims is a member of BJP Youth Morcha. The situation in the area is reportedly tense after the incident. The police are also investigating the case and are trying to ascertain if it was a case of suicide or murder. A case of ‘unnatural death’ has been registered and the body has been sent for autopsy.
Alleged murder by TMC-backed goons
Aakash Megharia, the district SP said, “The body of the youth was found hanging from a tree this morning. We removed the body and sent it for an autopsy. An unnatural death case was started till the post mortem is received,” as reported by Economic Times.
Sisupal Sahis, an active member of BJP’s youth wing, was the youngest son of Jadav Sahis, BJP’s elected panchayat functionary in Sirkabandh Gram Panchayat. He said that his son had been writing graffiti on the wall for BJP. Going about his usual work on April 16, he worked till the late evening after which he went to the local fair, which is where he went missing, said the father. He also added that after 8 pm, Sahis’s phone went off and his body was found on early hours of April 18.
Sahis’s family alleges that their son has been killed by the goons backed by Trinamool Congress. BJP also alleges TMC’s hand in this murder. However, TMC president Shantiram Mahato said that they do not believe in ‘politics of murder’ and that the BJP is trying to malign them before the elections.
Similar incidents
On April 17, a body of the 55-year-old worker from Communist Party of India (Marxist) Ajay Mandal was also found in Patharpratima area of South 24 Parganas district. The party leaders alleged that he was killed by TMC supporters.
Even during the Panchayat elections, numerous reports of scuffles between BJP and TMC party workers also came out.
However, in February this year, a Trinamool Congress worker, Naju Sheikh was shot dead in West Bengal’s Berhampore area of Murshidabad district. As per reports by India Today, he was the third TMC worker killed in a span of 12 hours. A day earlier, two workers of TMC were killed by some unknown men in South 24 Parganas. Last year in May as well, an 18-year-old BJP worker was found hanging from a tree. BJP had then alleged that it was a case of murder carried out by TMC workers.
18-year-old BJP worker murdered in Purulia by TMC goons for being a BJP worker.
A note says“ you are 18 and BJP worker, today is your last day”.
West Bengal is converted into cremation ground by @AITCofficial. 18 BJP workers murdered in pre and post panchayat election violence pic.twitter.com/VfrhuXIRn2
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) May 30, 2018
BJP had even urged the Election Commission to declare West Bengal as a ‘Super Sensitive’ state last month. Justifying his party’s demand to declare the state as ‘Super Sensitive’, Ravi Shankar, a BJP leader said that, “Around 100 murders took place during Panchayat elections in West Bengal. Officers sit on dharnas along with the Chief Minister. The ruling party’s (BJP) national president’s chopper is not even allowed to land there,” reports ANI.
Also Read: WB: 18-Yr-Old Found Hanged To Death For Being A BJP Worker