TMC worker shot at in Bhangor, ruling party blames ISF

With a Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker being shot at Chaltaberia in Bhangor on Tuesday night, the ruling party’s MLA Shaukat Molla and strongman Arabul Islam have demanded the arrest of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) leader and Bhangor MLA Naushad Siddiqui.

The injured TMC leader Hatem Mollah was returning home around 10:30 pm on Tuesday when someone fired at him. The bullet reportedly hit him near his head.

Mollah was rushed to a local hospital from where he was shifted to another hospital in Kolkata for better treatment. A case was registered at the Kashipur Police Station. The Trinamool leadership claimed that ISF workers were behind the shootout.

Saukat Mollah, MLA of Canning (East) alleged that it is the ISF workers who are creating havoc despite Section 144 imposed in the area.

He also demanded that the Bhangor MLA Naushad Siddiqui be arrested since he is allegedly instigating his workers to attack the ruling party.

He alleged that since the time of the elections, ISF workers have been carrying out repeated attacks against the ruling party leaders and workers in Bhangor –I and Bhangor –II.

On Wednesday in the Ghatakpur area, Mollah asked the police to carry out raids and search operations to find weapons that have been allegedly stocked by ISF workers. He asked police to help restore peace in Bhangor so that residents can once again start living in peace.

Mollah’s allegations were backed by TMC’s strongman of Bhangor, Arabul Islam. He said that it seems as if Maoist attacks are being carried out where villagers are being terrorized. Islam alleged that incidents of bombings are taking place frequently while several villagers are already leaving the area. Three persons died on the day of election results out of which two were from ISF.

Naushad Siddiqui has blamed the ruling party workers and the police for the violence.

He alleged that police are acting like a silent observer allowing TMC goons to spread terror. Recently, Siddiqui was stopped by police from entering Bhangor, forcing him to move court.

Arabul Islam lost his ground to the ISF with the latter winning the Polerhat-II panchayat in an alliance with Jami Raksha Committee (JRC).