Trinamool and BJP spar over political affiliation of dead Kolkata youth

While the BJP claimed that the victim was a member of its youth wing, TMC said that he was a part of Mamata's party

Hours after the body of a youth was found hanging in an abandoned room near the railway yard in North Kolkata's Cossipore on Friday, claims and counter-claims began between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP over his political affiliation.

While the BJP leadership claimed that the victim, 26-year-old Arjun Chaurasia, was an active member of its youth wing - BJP Yuva Morcha, Trinamool Congress leadership said that the victim was earlier associated with the BJP and had later joined TMC.

Senior Trinamool Congress leader and the deputy mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Atin Ghosh said that the victim was associated with the Trinamool Congress and he actively campaigned for the state's ruling party in December last year during KMC polls.

However, BJP's national vice president, Dilip Ghosh has claimed that the victim was an active member of their youth wing. "Even if I accept that the victim was associated with Trinamool Congress, why was he murdered?" Ghosh questioned.

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Meanwhile, a huge police contingent led by deputy commissioner (south) Jayita Bose and deputy commissioner (central) Rupesh Kumar, had a tough time in removing the body of the victim and sending it for post-mortem. After over five hours since the hanging body was recovered, the police were able to take the body for post-mortem to the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital.

Tension mounted in the locality further after Kolkata deputy mayor Atin Ghosh reached the spot with his associates. The supporters of Trinamool Congress and BJP engaged in scuffles. The police contingent present there faced a lot of difficulty in handling the situation.

The tragic incident happened on a day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah was on a visit to the state. The state BJP leaders claimed that Shah, after reaching Kolkata on Friday afternoon from Tinbigha in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, might meet the family members of the victim.