Mamata Banerjee faces protest in Bengal during visit to kin of Trinamool worker killed in police custody

Kolkata, August 9 (IANS) Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday faced protests from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and supporters while visiting the family of a Trinamool Congress worker who allegedly died in police custody in Kanchrapara of North 24 Parganas district.

Demonstrators surrounded Mamata Banerjee’s car, hurled mud and a torn slipper towards her, and shouted slogans calling her a “thief”.

Following the attack, the former West Bengal Chief Minister told media persons, “Large stones were hurled at my car by anti-social elements, right in front of the police. The attack on the vehicle was so severe that if the windows had been open, my head would have been split open. We could have all been killed. This happened right in front of the police. I have never seen anything like this. What is going on? The police are providing protection to the BJP.”

The BJP alleged that the former Chief Minister had come to Kanchrapara to incite trouble and that ordinary citizens were protesting against it.

On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the BJP-led state government and targeted Police Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who is also the Chief Minister of West Bengal.

The Trinamool Congress supremo alleged that the BJP orchestrated the incident using their “goons”.

“Forget about security; the police are protecting lumpens! Bengal has fallen into the hands of lumpens. We will file a case,” she said.

The three-time former Chief Minister Banerjee claimed that large bricks were thrown at her car.

“My head could have been split open; I could have died here. The police are protecting the BJP,” she complained.

Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen accompanied Mamata Banerjee. They too vented their anger against the current BJP administration after facing the protests.

Kalyan Banerjee said, ” Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is running his rule through the police and getting work done by the mafia.”

Police had to surround the former Chief Minister’s car as it passed through the roads of Bijpur in the same district.

The husband of the former Trinamool Congress Councillor of Kanchrapara Municipality in North 24 Parganas district died in police custody, the family alleged on Saturday.

The deceased’s name is Birju Keot. His wife Jenny Sharma Keot, the former Trinamool Councillor of Ward number 23 of Kanchrapara Municipality, alleged that her husband died after being beaten up in the jail.

There was no reaction from the police in connection with this incident.

The deceased Trinamool worker’s family on Saturday alleged that Birju was tortured in police custody after Friday midnight.

Jenny also alleged that her husband was beaten with his hands and feet tied.

A source from Halishahar police station said that Birju was found lying ill in the jail on after Friday midnight. He was rushed to Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Nadia district’s Kalyani where the doctors declared him dead.

Initial speculation is that he may have died of a heart attack. However, the real cause of death is not yet certain.

It is also not known whether there are any injury marks on his body.

The cause of death will be clear only after the autopsy report is received, a police source said.

After meeting the Keot family on Sunday, Mamata Banerjee remarked, “There is no such thing as law and order left in this state.”

–IANS

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