Bogtui massacre: Cenotaph set up by a victim family in memory of those killed

Kolkata, March 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) A Bogtui violence victim family in West Bengal is in the process of setting up a cenotaph in memory of the nine victims of the massive carnage.

The carnage that took place at Bogtui village under Rampurhat sub-division in Birbhum district during the wee hours of March 21 last year, was presumed to be a revenge-killing following the murder of local Trinamool Congress leader Vadu Sheikh on the streets the same evening.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths are probing the matter following an order of the Calcutta High Court.

The cenotaph is being set up at the courtyard of the residence of local villager and member of one of the victim families Mihilal Sheikh.

According to him, the members from all the victim families in that massacre will be assembling in front of the cenotaph on March 21 this year and pay homage to the deceased souls.

"Our doors will remain open for all throughout the day and anyone willing to come pay homage to the deceased souls are welcome," said Sheikh.

However, political mudslinging has already started over the development as the district leadership of the ruling Trinamool Congress has alleged that the entire initiative has been masterminded by the district-unit of BJP to gain political mileage before the forthcoming elections for the three- tier panchayat system in the state.

"This is a game plan of BJP, otherwise a thoroughly communal force, to fish in muddy water. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself went to Bogtui to distribute compensation cheques. The state government has provided jobs to one member of each of the victim families. This is nothing but an attempt to create tension over the tragedy before the rural civic body polls," said district Trinamool Congress leader.

Although denying direct involvement of the party behind the initiative, BJP's Birbhum district president Dhrubo Saha said that the party's moral support is behind this initiative.

"In the massacre both the killers and victims had affiliations towards the ruling Trinamool Congress. However, the ruling party's organisational strength in the area has eroded substantially after the massacre. So, they are trying to give this initiative a political colour," he added.

He also informed that on March 21 this year, the district unit of BJP will also observe the one-year completion of the tragedy in its own way. "The leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari is supposed to arrive at Bogtui on that day and pay homage to the deceased souls in the carnage," he said.

Source: IANS