Congress Helping BJP Create "False Narrative" About Lawlessness: Trinamool

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal on Wednesday accused the Congress of joining hands with the BJP in creating a "false narrative" about alleged lawlessness and maligning the state government.

Commenting on the unnatural death of an eye-witness to Congress councillor Tapan Kandu's murder, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh also alleged that efforts are being made to divert the needle of suspicion towards the state police and the ruling party.

The CBI on Tuesday started an investigation into the murder of Kandu, a Congress councillor of Jhalda Municipality in Purulia district. The central agency is likely to question the superintendent of police of the district and the inspector in charge of Jhalda police station.

"Any death is unfortunate, but the way the TMC and the state police are being blamed for it is unacceptable. We condemn it. First of all, the murder case of Tapan Kandu is being investigated by the CBI. But still, the Congress and the opposition are trying to put the blame on the TMC," Mr Ghosh, also a TMC state general secretary, told reporters.

The body of Niranjan Baishnab, a close associate of Kandu and an eye-witness to his murder last month, was found hanging in his house in Jhalda on Wednesday.

In a note recovered from his room, Baishnab purportedly claimed that he was under severe stress because of repeated phone calls from the police in connection with the councillor's killing.

Local people are demanding a CBI investigation into Baishnab's death too.

Mr Ghosh claimed that the Congress and the BJP spoke in the same language while seeking CBI investigations into the incidents of Jhalda and Bogtui in Birbhum district where nine people were burnt to death shortly after the murder of a local Trinamool Congress leader.

The CBI is also investigating the Bogtui killings that occurred last month.

"The Congress in Bengal has joined hands with the BJP to create a false narrative about lawlessness and malign the state government. In every case, they (Congress and BJP) want CBI investigation. But when the same CBI knocks at the door of Congress leaders, they oppose it," the TMC leader said.

Both the grand old party and the BJP rejected the charge.

Senior Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya said raising a voice against injustice does not mean that both parties have joined hands.

"What do you expect when our councillor was killed? We felt that a CBI inquiry is the only way to bring out the truth," he said.

BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said the party demanded a CBI inquiry as the state police have turned into "cadres of the ruling TMC".

The CBI has taken over investigations into the killings at Jhalda and Bogtui on the orders of the Calcutta High Court.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)