This Article is From Feb 15, 2021

Will Offer Job, Financial Aid To Family Of Activist Killed In Protest: Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee said the exact cause of activist Maidul Islam Midda's death will be known only after the post-mortem examination.

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Kolkata News

Mamata Banerjee said it is also important to ascertain whether the activist had any health issues (File)

Kolkata:

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the state government is ready to provide a job and financial support to the family of the left activist who died from injuries he sustained during a clash between the police and members of Left parties.

Ms Banerjee said the police have launched an investigation and the exact cause of activist Maidul Islam Midda's death will be known only after the post-mortem examination.

"I do not support any death. Every death is unfortunate. A probe is underway... I have come to know that even his family members were not informed where he was admitted. No police complaint was made in this connection," said an agitated Mamata Banerjee after a reporter sought to know her reaction.

"I have spoken to Sujan Chakraborty (Left Front leader) and told him that I am ready to provide job and financial support to the family," she told reporters at the state secretariat.

Mr Midda, who was critically injured in a clash with the police during the Left parties' march to the West Bengal secretariat on February 11, died on Monday morning.

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"He had died because of Rhabdomyolysis followed by kidney failure and pulmonary embolism after which there was a cardiac arrest this morning," CPI(M) leader and doctor by profession Fuad Halim, at whose medical facility Mr Midda was being treated, said.

Mr Midda was shifted to another private hospital where he died this morning.

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Ms Banerjee said it is also important to ascertain whether Mr Midda, who is survived by wife and two children, had any health complications.

"I have spoken to the Soumen Mitra (Kolkata Police Commissioner). They (police) are keeping a watch on the post mortem report. But the custom is that in such cases the hospital or the nursing home must lodge a complaint with the local police station.

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"In this case nothing of that sort was done. Even his family members have said they came to know about Mr Midda's condition only on February 13. Where did the two days go? Questions like these are emerging. Whether he had any renal problems or not also needed to be checked," she said.

"The Police will definitely check if he died due to the clashes or for any other incident," the chief minister said.

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Mr Midda's wife said that she will accept Ms Banerjee's job offer.

"I will accept the job. We have three daughters and a widowed mother to look after," she said.

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Reacting to it, a senior Left Front leader said "It's her prerogative. And going by the financial condition of the family, I believe that she must consider it".

Mr Midda, 31, a toto-driver in Bankura district's Kotulpur block, was the sole bread earner of his family.

Student and youth wings of Left parties had clashed with the police during the rally, leading to injuries on both sides.

The police had resorted to lathicharge, burst tear gas shells and used water cannons to disperse the activists.

The Left Front had called a 12-hour state-wide bandh on February 12 in protest against the police action.

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

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