In a video that has now surfaced on social media, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader is seen threatening to blow up an entire village within a span of 10 minutes.
The accused TMC leader, identified as Shakir Ahmed, serves as the Upa Pradhan (Deputy Head) of Chopra’s Haptia Gacch Gram Panchayat in the Islampur subdivision in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal.
“Eto boma-bonduk aache je 10 minute er modhe aelaka udano jabe. Boma-bonduk er tension nabe na (We have such a huge stock of bombs and guns that we can blow up the area in just 10 minutes. Don’t worry about the availability of bombs and guns),” Ahmed told a small group of his supporters.
A video of his contentious remarks has now gone viral on social media, prompting the ruling Trinamool Congress party to engage in damage control.
Trinamool Congress Core Committee (Chopra) Chairman Tahir Ahmed conceded, “Shakir is in possession of a large stockpile of guns and bombs. Not just him, other miscreants too are in possession of deadly weapons. Inspector-in-Charge (IC), Superintendent of Police (SP) and State Secretariat (Nabanna) have been apprised of the matter.”
Pritiranjan Ghosh, Trinamool Congress Block President (Chopra), told News 18 Bangla that the matter is not related to the party. “It is the administration’s job to investigate who is in possession of weaponry. He must have said it by mistake. He is in a position of power, which makes it wrong. We are conducting an internal party meeting over the incident.”
BJP slams TMC; warns them about a repeat of Birbhum violence
While reacting to the viral video, district BJP leader Surojit Sen warned, “There is a huge stockpile of explosives in Islampur sub-division. I don’t understand why the cops are not investigating it. There is an internal conflict running within the party line. You may see a repetition of Birbhum violence here in the Uttar Dinajpur district.”
State BJP leader Rahul Sinha told ABP Ananda, “West Bengal is standing on a shaky foundation of gunpowder, the manufacturer of which is the Trinamool Congress. If TMC sponsored goons can threaten to blow up a village in 10 minutes, then, how long will they take to blow up the entire State?”
Targeted attacks against the BJP workers and their relatives in Uttar Dinajpur
As such, Uttar Dinajpur has a history of political violence and brutality. In July 2020, the 16-year-old sister of a BJP booth President was abducted from her home, raped and murdered in Chopragaj in Uttar Dinajpur in West Bengal. The victim was abducted in the wee hours of the morning when she went out to use the toilet.
She was then taken to an abandoned place near Chopragaj in Sonarpur Gram Panchayat. Reportedly, the 10th std student was then raped and poisoned by the perpetrators. They fled the scene after dumping her body at the abandoned place which is located close to her house.
A 16 years old girl raped by Feroze Ali in Chopra. She died today morning. Did she pay the price of being the sister of the local BJP Booth President? And sadly, a state governed by a woman CM cannot protect it’s girls. pic.twitter.com/Fw7Fp4v6hJ
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) July 19, 2020
After the girl went missing, locals began searching for her. She was found in an unconscious state at the deserted place. She was rushed to a primary healthcare centre in Chopragaj’s Dalua block. When her condition deteriorated, she was admitted to Islampur Sub-Divisional Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
