TMC, Congress councillors shot dead in separate incidents in Bengal

TMC, Congress councillors shot dead by “goons” in two separate incidents in Panihati and Jhalda areas of West Bengal on Sunday.

The two elected councillors of the TMC and Congress were shot dead in separate incidents in Panihati and Jhalda areas of West Bengal on Sunday, police said.

Elizabeth from Congress wrote, “A four-time Congress Counsellor from West Bengal has been shot dead by goons in broad daylight.

I’m disappointed there’s no outrage on this matter, especially by our own leaders.”

A four time Congress Counsellor from West Bengal has been shot dead by goons in broad daylight.

I'm disappointed there's no outrage on this matter, especially by our own leaders.@RahulGandhi @priyankagandhi @INCIndia

— Elizabeth (@Elizatweetz) March 14, 2022

Anupam Dutta, the TMC councillor of ward number eight of Panihati Municipality in North 24 Parganas district, was shot at from a close range by unidentified motorcycle-borne youths while he was visiting a park on North Station Road in Agarpara in the evening, a police officer said.

The councillor sustained severe head injuries and was rushed to a private hospital in the area where doctors declared him brought dead, he said, adding that a police contingent has been deployed as the situation was tense.

In Jhalda Municipality of Purulia district, four-time Congress councillor Tapan Kandu was shot dead by unidentified assailants, another police officer said.

The councillor was shot at by three motorcycle-borne youths when he went for a walk near his residence in his ward number two in the evening, he said.

Congress councillor Kandu sank to the ground after he was shot and was carried by locals even as the assailants fled from the spot. He was hurried to a private hospital in Ranchi in neighbouring Jharkhand, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Kandu had won from ward number two of Jhalda Municipality for the fourth time in last month’s civic polls and was a popular leader in the area, Congress sources said.

The verdict of the voters threw a hung board after recent polls in Jhalda Municipality, with the Congress and Trinamool Congress having won five seats each and independents securing two seats.

In Panihati, TMC secured a majority by bagging 33 of the 35 wards.

Naihati’s TMC MLA Partha Bhowmick said, “Anupam Dutta was a popular figure in the area and this was a pre-planned murder. I won’t immediately blame the BJP but this is true that he had defeated a big-shot of the saffron party in the area and earned their wrath.” Purulia’s Congress leader Nepal Mahato said that the murder of his party councillor Tapan Kandu was political and that he would be visiting the area soon.