Kolkata: Eight villagers were killed while several others were injured in a clash caused by an alleged faction feud within the TMC at Labhpur in Birbhum.
Bombs flew freely from 10 am on Friday. It was a conflict over the control of the illegal business of sand mining on the banks of river “Mayurakshi”.
Trouble broke out when a group of men from Mirbandh village hurled crude bombs in Darbarpur. At around 1 pm, several bomb explosions rocked Bagdipara in Darbarpur. Villagers, including women and children, were seen fleeing in panic. Around 10 village men were later found lying with deep injuries near the house of one Minarul Sheikh, eight of whom died. They were Anwar Sheikh (42), Ramjan Sheikh (45), Adu Sheikh (48), Lalsad Sheikh (46), Hajibur Sheikh (40), Kalo Sheikh (35), Asadul Sheikh (37) and Jamirul Sheikh (45), the police said. Two others are undergoing treatment at a hospital. A strong police force has been deployed in the area.
According to the villagers, the clash was the outcome of two Trinamul factions — one headed by Ahadur Sheikh of Mirbandh and another led by Shoaib Ali of Darbarpur who has been fighting to take control of the rampant sand mining in the area. Both sides accused each other of the attack. Superintendent of Police (Birbhum) Sudhir Kumar Neelkantha said, “It was a clash between two groups of miscreants. The explosion took place as the bombs which were being made went off.”
Ruling out any internal feud, Birbhum Trinamul president Anubrata Mondal claimed, “there is no faction fued in our party. A group of CPI(M) workers were homeless. Returning home on Thursday, night they carried out the attack.”
CPI(M) MLA Sujan Chakraborty, however, blamed chief minister Mamata Banerjee of not paying heed to the faction feud in her party. State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, “The clash was a result of Trinamul infighting.”
