CEO killing: TMC alleges BJP-CPI(M) involvement

West  Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the killing of the chief executive officer of a jute mill and alleged that it was an act of ‘CPI(M) and BJP goons’. 

‘According to information that I have got, BMS (Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh) and CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) members brutally beat up HK Maheswari. I have talked to the local police about t,’ the chief minister said.

Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee on Monday too alleged a BJP-CPI(M) nexus in the killing of the chief executive officer of a jute mill and said a conspiracy was being hatched to stop the development process in West Bengal.

‘The killing of the CEO is condemnable. The CPI(M) and the BJP have instigated it. It is a pre-planned conspiracy.

We feel the CPI(M) and the BJP are trying to disturb peace in Bengal and stop development process. We will not tolerate this,’ Chatterjee, state parliamentary affairs minister said.

Six workers of the North Brook jute mill have been arrested for the killing of its CEO HK Maheswari with the management putting up a suspension of work notice on the gate on Monday citing labour unrest.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has demanded a high-level, impartial probe into Sunday’s killing of the CEO of Northbrook Jute Co Ltd.

‘We demand an impartial and high-level probe into the killing of the CEO of the Jute Mill in Hooghly on Sunday (on Sunday). The truth should come out,’ state Congress leader and MLA Manas Bhuniya said here.

‘The owner of the Mill is saying that the workers are not involved in the incident. A probe should be done looking into all aspects,’ Bhuniya said.

‘The incident will have an adverse impact on the industrialisation process in the state,’ he added.

HK Maheswari was allegedly beaten up by workers of the factory at Bhadreswar when he rejected their demand for an increase in the weekly working hours to enable them to get paid more as payment is made according to hours of work, district SP Sunil Chowdhury said. 

The workers met Maheswari at 11 am in his chamber and demanded, besides other things, that the weekly working hours be increased to 40 from the present 25.