BJP leader cremated 4 months after death, home guard slapped during body handover

A BJP leader allegedly slapped a home guard following a quarrel during the handing over of the body of a saffron party functionary from the morgue of a state-run hospital in Kolkata on Thursday, around four months after his murder.

The body of Abhijit Sarkar who was allegedly killed in post-poll violence was later cremated at a burning ghat near the residence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in South Kolkata. The police asked the BJP to change the route of the funeral procession leading to altercation at various places.

A video, which went viral on social media, purportedly showed BJP leader Debdatta Maji slapping the home guard at the morgue of Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital where the body of Sarkar has been kept.

The incident occurred after BJP leaders and family members of Sarkar, who was vice-president of Bharatiya Mazdoor Trade Union Council in Kolkata, were made to wait for a long time outside the morgue premises.

A local court on Wednesday directed that Sarkar's body be handed over to his family.

"They (hospital authorities) were dilly-dallying over the handover of Sarkar's body to us and the home guard was acting smart. There were quarrels and pushing," Maji told reporters.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh initially said the party would take action against Maji if the allegation that he slapped a home guard was proved "true".

However, he later said the leader did the right thing.

"How dare a home guard harass members and supporters of the BJP? The administration ruled by Mamata Banerjee doesn't care for any rule of law. You (the home guard) should be aware that you have many years of service left and Mamata Banerjee will not save you always," Ghosh told reporters.

Reacting to Ghosh's comment, Trinamool Congress state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said it is unbecoming of the president of a party's state unit.

"One of his leaders slapped a government security personnel and he justifies the act! Such reaction will only create lawlessness," the TMC spokesperson said.

No police complaint was lodged in connection with the incident till the evening.

Sarkar's body was later handed over to the family members. BJP leaders and supporters took it to the party's state headquarters in Murlidhar Sen Lane and then to his Kakurgachi residence in north Kolkata.

Afterwards, it was taken for the last rites to Keoratala crematorium, around 15 kilometres away in south Kolkata, at a stone's throw from Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence.

"We had planned to take the body to Keoratola crematorium via Harish Mukherjee Road from in front of (TMC general secretary) Abhishek Banerjee's residence and then through the Kalighat area where Mamata Banerjee resides," a BJP leader, who chose not to be named, said.

The police asked the opposition party to change the route of the funeral procession leading to altercation between the two at several places.

The BJP trade union wing leader was allegedly killed in post-poll violence in Kolkata around four months ago. Sarkar's family, which was not happy with the first postmortem examination report of the body, had moved the Calcutta High Court praying for a second autopsy.

The second autopsy was carried out at the Command Hospital, a military facility, in July following an order of a five-judge bench of the high court.

A DNA matching of the body for identification was also done following a high court order as the family had failed to identify it.

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