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BBC and fake news: British broadcaster to pay a large sum in damages to the former nanny of Prince William, Harry for false claims of her ‘affair’ with Prince Charles

OpIndia Staff
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BBC and fake news: British broadcaster to pay a large sum in damages to the former nanny of Prince William, Harry for false claims of her ‘affair’ with Prince Charles

On Thursday (July 21), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) tendered an apology and assured to compensate a former nanny of the British Royal family for falsely claiming that she had aborted her child after an affair with Prince Charles.

The nanny, identified as Alexandra “Tiggy” Pettifer, had served as the personal assistant to the Prince of Wales’ family between 1993 and 1999. She looked after Prince William and Prince Harry after Prince Charles had separated from Princess Diana in 1992.

Reportedly, false allegations about an ‘affair’ between Prince Charles and his personal assistant were made by BBC journalist Martin Bashir to land an interview with Princess Diana in 1995. Pettifer had sued the national broadcaster of the UK for the harm caused by the scandalous portrayal of her life.

It was in that explosive interview that the late Princess Diana disclosed intimate details of her failed marriage to Prince Charles.

In May 2021, an inquiry committee set up by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to look into the allegations made by Charles Spencer, brother of former British Princess Diana, ruled that BBC journalist Martin Bashir had used deceit to secure an interview with the former Princess in 1995. Charles Spencer said the BBC reporter linked these events to Diana’s death. 

The statement issued by the BBC

Following a hearing at the High Court in London on July 21, BBC Director-General Tim Davie issued an apology and assured to not telecast the said interview on BBC’s channel ever again.

“The BBC has agreed to pay substantial damages to Mrs Pettifer and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise publicly to her, to the Prince of Wales, and to the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives,” he stated.

“It is a matter of great regret that the BBC did not get to the facts in the immediate aftermath of the programme when there were warning signs that the interview might have been obtained improperly. Instead, as the Duke of Cambridge himself put it, the BBC failed to ask the tough questions,” he added.

Tim Davie apologised for letting the audience and the Royal Family down. “Had we done our job properly Princess Diana would have known the truth during her lifetime,” he emphasised.

The BBC Director General further said, “It does of course remain part of the historical record and there may be occasions in the future when it will be justified for the BBC to use short extracts for journalistic purposes, but these will be few and far between and will need to be agreed at the executive committee level and set in the full context of what we now know about the way the interview was obtained. I would urge others to exercise similar restraint.”

Statement by the former nanny of the British Royal Family

Alexandra “Tiggy” Pettifer was successful in settling her claim against the BBC after a long legal battle. In a statement, she said, “I am disappointed that it needed legal action for the BBC to recognise the serious harm I have been subjected to.”

The former nanny added, “Sadly, I am one of many people whose lives have been scarred by the deceitful way in which the BBC Panorama was made and the BBC’s subsequent failure to properly investigate the making of the programme.”

She has expressed grief over the distress caused to the British Royal family. “I know first-hand how much they were affected at the time, and how the programme and the false narrative it created have haunted the family in the years since. “Especially because, still today, so much about the making of the programme is yet to be adequately explained.”

MP: AIMIM candidate wins local polls in Khargone, where Islamists had attacked Ram Navami procession

OpIndia Staff
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MP: AIMIM candidate wins local polls in Khargone, where Islamists had attacked Ram Navami procession

All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen candidate Aruna Upadhyay won local body polls from ward 2, Khargone, a town that saw Islamists attacking the Ram Navami procession earlier this year.

After her victory, Upadhyay thanked AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for granting her party ticket to contest from the seat. 

“I am grateful to Owaisi Sahab for giving me the ticket to contest from ward no 2, Khargone. People wanted change, so they voted for me. I will look into the issues of water, electricity and ration card,” Upadhyay said while talking to the media. 

It is worth noting that Upadhyay won in a town where Islamists had gone on a rampage against Hindu devotees, including women and children, who were part of Ram Navami procession. 

Islamists attack Ram Navami procession in Khargone

On April 10, on the occasion of Ram Navami, one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals, violence broke out in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone. Islamists attacked the Shobha Yatra processions. Hindu devotees came under attack by an Islamist mob while the Ram Navami procession passed through a lane adjacent to a mosque in Khargone in Madhya Pradesh. 

In the riots that erupted at this time, Islamist rioters attacked Hindu houses and targeted Hindu women. While the mob of Islamist rioters broke into the lanes of Khargone, the miscreants taunted Hindu women saying, “Where is your Ram? We Ravans are here to abduct you.”

The cops resorted to firing tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. During the orgy of violence, a total of 24 people were injured, including six police personnel. Even the Superintendent of Police (Khargone) had sustained bullet injuries. Keeping in mind the volatile law and order situation, a curfew was imposed in the area.

Uttar Pradesh: Retired railway supervisor Abdul Jameel of Fatehpur embraces Hinduism, takes new name Shravan Kumar calling it ‘Ghar-Wapsi’

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Retired railway supervisor Abdul Jameel of Fatehpur embraces Hinduism, takes new name Shravan Kumar calling it ‘Ghar-Wapsi’

On Thursday 21st July 2022, a man named Abdul Jameel in Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh quit Islam and embraced Hinduism at the Sankat Mochan Mandir amidst the holy chants of Vedic Mantras along with all the rituals according to the Sanatan Dharma. He will now be known as Shravan Kumar. Abdul Jameel – a retired government servant – said that he developed an interest in the Sanatan Dharma over the last many years.

Abdul Jameel originally hails from Sadabad tehsil of Hathras district and currently lives in Deviganj mohalla of Fatehpur. Abdul Jameel, 66, who retired as chief reservation supervisor after serving in the railways for 38 years, said he had faith in Sanatan Dharma since childhood.

Jameel said that for about two years, he had a desire to convert to Hinduism. A few days ago, he met the regional general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha and developed a friendship with him. After that, he spoke his mind and adopted Hinduism.

He said as he became Shravan Kumar, “There is a lot of discrimination in the Muslim religion. So much so that even siblings don’t trust each other. People are greedy and even kill each other for their property. I was upset with all these things. I decided that I would convert to Hinduism. I worship Lord Ram and he is my deity. I felt very good when for the first time I chanted Vishnu-Vishnu and performed havan puja.”

He said he did not change any religion, but had returned to his original Sanatan Dharma. Describing Lord Ram as his role model, Shravan Kumar – formerly Jameel – said that Lord Ram is the ancestor of the whole of India, and people should happily accept this fact.

Jameel said that he was not pressurized to become a Hindu. According to him, his ancestors were Kshatriyas. His great-grandfather’s name was Puttu Singh. His father’s name was Abdul Hamid Beg. He told that two generations back, his family was connected to Rajputs.

Around two months ago, Abdul Jameel’s brother-in-law Babar knew that Jameel is going to accept Hinduism. Babar tried to prevent him from doing so. As Abdul Jameel did not agree to stay back in Islam, Babar beat him. Abdul Jameel told him that his faith is now associated with the Sanatan Dharma and no one can change it now.

Abdul Jameel said, “When my brother-in-law Babar alias Mustakim knew that I am converting to Hinduism, he locked me at home and he beat me. I believed in my deity, Lord Ram. I perform his puja at my home for the last three months.”

Abdul Jameel who is now Shravan Kumar said that he is not afraid of anyone now and that if anyone tries to threaten him, he will lodge a complaint at the police station. He has also met the district magistrate and asked for security.

Abdul Jameel has three daughters and a son. His elder daughter is married. Another daughter is an engineer while the third daughter is an MBBS doctor. His wife Arjumand Bano lives with the daughters in Lucknow. His son Mohammed Shameel is doing a course for pilot officer in Delhi. According to him, there is immense social pressure on the family right now.

Abdul Jameel told that he started his job in railways on 30th October 1978. First, he was posted as a reservation supervisor in the Fatehpur district where he lived for 20 years. After that, he was transferred to Shikohabad where he worked for 18 years before retiring in 2014.

Rajasthan: Rizwan Ashraf who crossed border to kill Nupur Sharma belongs to terrorist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, has criminal record

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Rizwan Ashraf who crossed border to kill Nupur Sharma belongs to terrorist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, has criminal record

The Rajasthan Police on Friday made shocking revelations against a Pakistani national who was apprehended from the Hindumal border in Rajasthan’s Srigangagar district after crossing illegally to the Indian side. The Police said that the accused who was identified by the BSF as Rizwan Ashraf belonged to a far-right Islamic extremist political party in Pakistan named Tehreek-e-Labbaik.

“Tehreek-e-Labbaik, a Pakistani organization has made plans to kill Nupur Sharma. Rizwan who is a Pakistani terrorist was also influenced by Tehreek-e-Labbaik. As per their plan, he wanted to enter India from across the border,” said S Sengathir, Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) of Rajasthan.

The Police also said that Ashraf was also arrested earlier by the Pakistan Police in Lahore for dismantling the statue of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh in August 2021. According to the reports, the Police, IB, BSF, and Military Intelligence Officers are all investigating to discover the local connections established by Ashraf in Rajasthan’s Srigangagar.

The accused was arrested by the BSF from the Hindumal border in Srigangagar district on after crossing the border illegally to the Indian side. The BSF stated in the case that the accused had crossed the border on July 16 and was apprehended after he was spotted roaming around near the fencing. The patrol squad became suspicious and interrogated him. He was carrying an 11-inch long knife, religious books, clothes, food and sand in a bag. He had said that his name is Rizwan Ashraf, and he is from Mandi Bahauddin city located in Northern Punjab of Pakistan.

However, he did not respond adequately and failed to cooperate with the military officers. Rajasthan SP Anand Sharma while elaborating the details said that when he was thoroughly searched by the officers, two knives, one of them being 11-inch long, were discovered from him. Besides, religious texts, maps, clothing, and food items were discovered. Rizwan Ashraf, 24, is a resident of Kuthiyal Shaikh, Pakistan.

During questioning, the accused admitted to being a resident of Mandi Bahauddin in northern Pakistan. He informed officials that he crossed the border with the goal of assassinating suspended BJP spokesman Nupur Sharma for making derogatory statements about Prophet Muhammad. He was on his way to Ajmer Dargah before executing the claimed murder.

He was interrogated by a combined team of intelligence organizations, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and the Military Intelligence Agency and was later handed over to the Police. The Police reportedly on Friday revealed that the accused belonged to Tehreek-e-Labbaik and had a past criminal record. Further investigations in the case are underway.

India Today Group sacks Kolkata based General Manager Indranil Chatterjee for ‘extremely derogatory post’ against President-elect Draupadi Murmu

OpIndia Staff
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India Today Group sacks Kolkata based General Manager Indranil Chatterjee for ‘extremely derogatory post’ against President-elect Draupadi Murmu

The India Today group has terminated the services of its Kolkata Based Deputy General Manager Indranil Chatterjee over offensive comments against president-elect Draupadi Murmu. The media group expressed regret for the ‘extremely derogatory post’ by their Kolkata based sales staff, saying that the post was hurtful and against the basic principles of human decency.

In the Facebook post that had gone viral yesterday, Indranil Chatterjee had commented that he can’t accept Draupadi Murmu as India’s president because she is Adivasi. Saying that he is old fashioned and proud about it, he had said that just like does not support gay marriage, he also does not support an ‘Adivasi President’.

He had written, “Few chairs are not meant for “All” & have a dignity attached to them. Do we allow a sweeper to perform Durga Puja? Can a Hindu teach at a Madrasah? These are nothing but cheap socio-political gimmicks of the ruling party in creating a Rubber Stamp Constitutional Head, so that laws can be passed easily showing middle finger to the Opposition parties.”

Indranil Chatterjee had added that election of Draupadi Murmu to the post of president of India is an insult to past presidents like souls like APJ Abdul Kalam, Pranab MuKherjee, S. Radhakrishnan, Zakir Hussain, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, Rajendra Prasad and others. “Baba Indra is against Medieval Age Caste Politics. Strictly my personal opinion,” he had added at the last.

Indranil deleted his Facebook account after his post became viral and created massive outrage on the social media. Following the outrage and bad PR the post was bringing to the organisation, India Today group today decided to sack him.

The statement issued by India Today Group Chief Executive Officer Dinesh Bhatia said that when Indranil was asked for an explanation for the post, he “admitted to his momentary lapse of judgement”. He apologised unconditionally and said he had already deleted the post within a few minutes, the statement added.

However, Indranil Chatterjee was sacked from his job by the media house because it was grave breach of code of conduct. “This was a grave breach of the India Today Group’s Code of Conduct. The employee’s services were terminated with immediate effect last night”, the statement informed.

The media house further added, “The India Today Group does not condone such actions. We uphold the highest standards of ethics and professional decorum.”

Notably, Draupadi Murmu won the presidential election over Yashwant Sinha yesterday to become the country’s next president. She was born to a Santal Tribal family on June 20, 1958, in the village of Uparbeda, district Mayurbhanj in Odisha. From 2015 until 2021, she served as Jharkhand’s honourable governor. She was the first female governor of the state as well as the first tribal leader to hold the position in an Indian state.

‘Uddhav Thackeray had refused to provide security to Eknath Shinde after Naxalites threatened him’: Shiv Sena MLA Suhas Kande 

OpIndia Staff
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‘Uddhav Thackeray had refused to provide security to Eknath Shinde after Naxalites threatened him’: Shiv Sena MLA Suhas Kande 

In an explosive revelation, Shiv Sena MLA Suhas Kande said former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray had asked the then Home Minister Shamburaj Desai not to grant additional security to Eknath Shinde after Naxalites threatened him.

“When Eknath Shinde received death threats from the Naxalites, both the Home Ministers (state and cabinet) considered giving him Z Plus security. But Uddhav Thackeray called Shambhuraj Desai at 8.30 am and told him not to provide security to Eknath Shinde,” Suhas Kande said in an interview with ABP Majha. 

Challenging Aaditya Thackeray, who is on a Manmad tour, Kande said he would resign if the former Maharashtra Environment minister responds to his questions. 

“Why was a Marathi man not provided with security even though he was receiving death threats while fighting against Naxalites? On the contrary, why was Z Plus security given to those who were against Hindutva?” Kande asked.

Kande further added that he plans to meet Aaditya Thackeray and ask these questions to him. He said he is from Shiv Sena and a true follower of Balasaheb Thackeray, so if Thackeray refuses to meet him, he will hit the streets and launch protests against it. 

“Aaditya Thackeray has come to Manmad only once so far. He has has not contributed even one percent in the development of Manmad, I. Can Aaditya Thackeray show she has granted any project here for the development of the city? Come to Manmad city or Nandgaon constituency and show project of your tourism department,” he challenged.

He further added, “Aaditya Thackeray has forgotten that people elected us on the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and on the issue of Hindutva. We are Balasaheb’s staunch Shiv Sainiks and Hindutvavadis. As Uddhav Thackeray says, I am ready to resign and get re-elected, but before that Aaditya Thackeray should answer my question. If he takes my question, I will resign.”

Two and a half years after forming the government in Maharashtra, senior Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and an overwhelming majority of the party MLAs mutinied against Uddhav Thackeray, citing the party’s betrayal of Hindutva. The rebellion resulted in the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, after which Eknath Shinde became the chief minister of Maharashtra with the support of the BJP.

Quid pro quo by AAP minister Manish Sisodia: LG recommends probe into ‘undue financial favours to liquor licensees’ worth crores

OpIndia Staff
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Quid pro quo by AAP minister Manish Sisodia: LG recommends probe into ‘undue financial favours to liquor licensees’ worth crores

Based on a report from the Delhi Chief Secretary, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has recommended an investigation into the controversial Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The report alleges breaches of the GNCTD Act of 1991, the Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) of 1993, the Delhi Excise Act of 2009, and the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010. The liquor mafia was also granted a benefit of Rs 144 crores, according to the report.

The Chief Secretary’s report, which was sent to both LG and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, “indicate substantively of financial quid pro quo at the top political level, wherein the Minister In-charge of the Excise Department, Manish Sisodia, took and got executed, major decisions/actions in violation of the statutory provisions and the notified Excise Policy that had huge financial implications.”

“Sisodia also allegedly extended undue financial favours to the liquor licensees much after the tenders had been awarded and thus caused huge losses to the exchequer,” the report further added.

It is noteworthy that the Excise Department decided to waive Rs. 144.36 crores of the tendered licence fee for the liquor market only, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, even as migrants were leaving the city due to a lack of basic subsistence income, street vendors were struggling to make a living, and all other business establishments were at risk of shutdown.

According to the report, this was done solely to enrich private liquor merchants set to provide financial rewards to those at the top levels of government, including Manish Sisodia, Minister in Charge of Excise & Finance.

This move follows an official statement issued earlier this month announcing that the Delhi government had renewed the licences of those providing country liquor in the national capital by one month. Licensees will be required to pay a pro-rated licencing cost for the extension.

The Delhi Excise Policy 2021–22 of the Kejriwal government has come under fire for giving unauthorised financial favours to licensees of alcoholic beverages after bids were called, causing enormous losses to the exchequer. The policy, which was opposed by civil society, religious groups, educational institutions, and Parents’ Bodies, was introduced in the midst of the Delta wave of the Covid pandemic and went into effect on November 17, last year, with retail licences awarded to private bidders for 849 vends spread across the city divided into 32 zones. Manish Sisodia, the Minister in Charge of the Excise Department, is expected to come under the CBI’s investigation in this inquiry.

Bengal SSC Scam: ED raids TMC minister Partha Chatterjee’s residence, search underway at 13 locations

OpIndia Staff
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Bengal SSC Scam: ED raids TMC minister Partha Chatterjee’s residence, search underway at 13 locations

On Friday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a raid on the properties of West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee as part of an investigation into irregularities in the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching employees at state-run schools via the School Service Commission (SSC).

The raids are being conducted at 13 locations belonging to the Minister for his involvement in the SSC scam. According to the reports, when the alleged unlawful recruitments had occurred, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader who is the Industry Minister at present was the Education Minister.

As a part of the inquiry into the SSC recruiting scandal, Chatterjee, the state’s Industry Minister, was also questioned by the CBI in May this year. The CBI had summoned him after a division bench of the Calcutta High Court upheld a single court’s orders for the central investigative agency to investigate suspected fraudulent appointments.

The CBI had also questioned West Bengal Education Secretary Manish Jain last week in connection with an alleged fraud. Earlier, in May, the Calcutta High Court had disallowed West Bengal’s Education Minister Paresh Adhikari’s daughter Ankita Adhikari from entering the school premises where she worked as a teacher and also had asked her to refund the salary for the tenure she has already served.

Adhikari and his daughter were issued a summons by the CBI. As the duo skipped the summons on May 19, this year, the CBI registered an FIR against Adhikari and his daughter named Ankita Adhikari. The agency had also grilled Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee then.

The SSC Scam

The CBI has been investigating several cases where teaching and non-teaching staff in the state of West Bengal were allegedly appointed illegally in schools following recommendations by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (SSC).

The West Bengal Teacher’s recruitment scam, more commonly referred to as the SSC scam, looks into the recruitment process conducted through the State Level Selection Test (SLT) conducted by SSC from 2014 to 2016. Candidates who appeared for the State Level Selection Test (SLST) exam had alleged that many candidates who secured fewer marks ended up with higher ranks on the merit list. They further stated that the candidates who were not on the merit list were also sent appointment letters.

Also, in the year 2016, multiple allegations of corruption cropped up regarding the recruitment of Group C and Group D employees in secondary and higher secondary schools under the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. The matter came to light in March this year after irregularities were noticed in the recruitment process of teachers in the state government schools.

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Gunawardena appointed as Prime Minister as President Wickremesinghe constitutes cabinet

OpIndia Staff
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Sri Lanka: Dinesh Gunawardena appointed as Prime Minister as President Wickremesinghe constitutes cabinet

Senior Lankan politician Dinesh Gunawardena was appointed Sri Lanka’s next Prime Minister on Friday, as President Ranil Wickremesinghe constituted his Cabinet. He took his oath as Prime Minister today at the Prime Minister’s Office on Flower Road in Colombo.

Gunawardena has held positions in the Sri Lankan parliament including the leader of the house, cabinet minister, and member of parliament. He has served as the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) party’s head since 1983.

This transpires after the Sri Lankan parliament had a presidential election on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, with Ranil Wickremesinghe winning. Wickremesinghe was acting president after the government disintegrated as a result of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation due to the present economic crisis and civil unrest. Now that Gotabaya Rajapaksa has left the country and submitted his resignation through email last week, Ranil Wickremesinghe will complete the remainder of his tenure.

Sri Lanka is experiencing its greatest economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948, with inflation hitting a record high of 17.5% in February 2022. The island nation’s citizens are facing severe food and cooking gas scarcity. Power outages are common, and huge lines for diesel fuel may be seen throughout the National Capital.

The crisis was exacerbated following the coronavirus epidemic when the country began to struggle after tourism, the island nation’s main economy was severely damaged. Because the government lacked sufficient foreign reserves, many imports were prohibited. This resulted in extended power outages and blackouts. In April, the Sri Lankan government declared a default on USD 51 billion in foreign debt.

In the midst of Sri Lanka’s economic turmoil, India has offered assistance to the island nation. India has provided a credit line of $1.5 billion for the purchase of 40,000 tonnes of diesel. Additionally, Sri Lanka requested an extra $1 billion credit line for necessary imports. You can read in detail about the Sri Lanka crisis here.

West Bengal: Trinamool Congress workers hurl crude bombs at each other in Arambagh. Here is what happened

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Trinamool Congress workers hurl crude bombs at each other in Arambagh. Here is what happened

On Thursday (July 21) night, a scuffle broke out between two factions of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party during which they hurled bombs at each other. The incident took place in Balundi village in Arambagh municipality in Hooghly district of West Bengal.

As per reports, the TMC workers were returning home after attending the Martyrs’ Day rally in the Dharmatala neighbourhood in Central Kolkata.

It is alleged that at about 8:30 pm on July 21, a faction led by TMC (Arambagh) Youth President Palash Roy came under attack from another TMC faction led by area Deputy Head Alok Santra.

Alok is the brother of former TMC legislator Krishna Chandra Santra. While recounting the incident, a TMC worker narrated, “We were returning from the meeting when goons of Alok Kumar Santra began assaulting us. Three of our workers were beaten mercilessly.”

An aide of Palash Roy, Rakuri Santra, stated, “I was en route to the party office when we were gheraoed by the men of Alok Santra. We were then assaulted with sticks and other weapons. We are TMC workers and were beaten for attending the party meeting in Kolkata.”

Several people were injured during the attack, post which they were admitted to Arambagh Sub-Division Hospital. A local TMC office was also vandalised during the incident.

As per allegations, the two factions hurled crude bombs at each other during the scuffle. A TMC worker is said to be missing since the incident. A contingent of Arambagh police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) was called in to pacify the situation.

In his defence, Alok Santra claimed, “We had gone to Dharmatala. They (faction led by Palash Roy) carried out vandalism and abducted one of our men. We have informed the cops. Some women are witnesses to the incident. We will take them to the police and register our complaint with the Inspector-in-Charge (IC).”

“They (Palash Roy’s men) claim to be TMC workers. If it was so, then, why would they vandalise the TMC office? These goons are led by Palash Roy. We had booked 2 cars to go to Dharmatala. They were hardly anyone in their car. They have done all this out of anger over marginal support received by their faction.”

Meanwhile, the Arambagh police have launched a probe into the matter.

3 TMC workers killed by a party member in Canning

On July 7, TMC (Gopalpur) gram panchayat member Swapan Majhi was killed by a group of 6 people near Peer Park in Canning in South 24 Parganas district. Besides Majhi, two TMC workers, namely, Jhantu Halder and Bhootnath Pramanik were also murdered.

Reportedly, the assailants first hurled a crude bomb at the trio. Swapan Majhi was shot twice while Bhootnath Pramanik was shot only once. After the accused ran out of bullets, they hacked Jhantu Halder to death.

Then, they also tried to behead the three victims. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered by the Canning police based on a complaint by Madhu, the elder brother of Swapan Majhi.

Six people, namely, Rafiqul Sardar, Basir Sheikh, Bapi Mondal, Ebayadullah Mondal, Ali Hosain Naskar and Jalaluddin Akhand were named as accused in the FIR.

It later came to light that the primary accused in the triple-murder case, Rafikul, was a worker of the Trinamool Congress. The revelation came at a time when the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal was trying to pin the blame for the gruesome murders on the Opposition.

After Rafikul’s mother claimed that her son was part of the TMC, the party went into a defensive mode. Local TMC leader Saikat Molla claimed, “There is no party worker by the name of Rafikul in Canning. Anti-social elements can’t be members of our party.”

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