“Attack on TMC MPs scripted,” says brother of slain BJP worker; questions 2021 post-poll violence

Kolkata, June 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Biswajit Sarkar, the brother of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar, who was killed during the post-poll violence that followed the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, has alleged that the recent attacks on Trinamool Congress MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee were scripted. He also questioned the then silence of TMC leadership when similar "cycle of violence" rocked West Bengal, leading to his brother's killing.

Speaking to IANS, Biswajit Sarkar recalled that his brother was among the first victims of the violence that erupted after the election results were declared in 2021. He alleged that despite repeated appeals over the years, justice and compensation remained elusive for the family.

"Today, TMC members are speaking about the post-poll violence; but where were these people back then, when TMC leaders, MLAs, councillors and the police colluded to beat Abhijit to death?" he asked.

The remarks come amid growing political confrontation in West Bengal following separate incidents involving Trinamool Congress leaders.

While Trinamool Congress leaders have accused the BJP of playing politics over murderous assaults, Biswajit Sarkar turned his criticism towards the key opposition party and questioned the timing of its concern on political violence.

He said it was only now that the political class seems willing to discuss incidents of violence, despite multiple families, affected by the 2021 unrest, continue to seek justice.

"We have been knocking on the doors of the courts for all these years. The NHRC had recommended that compensation be provided, yet even that has not been disbursed," he said.

Commenting on the recent attacks involving Trinamool Congress MPs, Sarkar claimed that the developments were being used to create a particular narrative and suggested that the incidents were being exaggerated for political purposes.

"Within a day or two, these individuals will approach the courts to demand enhanced security. They are orchestrating all of this themselves merely for public display. Their sole objective is to secure additional security cover," he alleged.

Biswajit Sarkar also drew a comparison between the events of 2021 and the present political situation in the state, saying that there was a significant difference in the handling of cases related to violence.

According to him, one of the most notable differences was that several individuals accused of the murder of his brother are now behind bars.

"Who has suffered greater injustice than I have? Those people murdered my brother. There is a huge fundamental difference between the TMC and the BJP government," he stated.

He further questioned how cases related to violence were handled during the post-poll unrest of 2021 and urged people to compare those investigations with current incidents.

"When the post-poll violence erupted back in 2021, against how many individuals were FIRs actually registered, and who were the specific people named in those complaints?" he asked.

"Today, as incidents unfold in various places, take a look at the FIRs filed over them. The sheer numbers alone will reveal the difference between the two governments," Sarkar added.

Abhijit Sarkar, a BJP worker, was killed on May 2, 2021, in Kolkata's Kankurgachi area during the violence that followed the declaration of results in the West Bengal Assembly elections. His death became one of the most high-profile cases linked to the post-poll unrest in the state.

The investigation was initially conducted by the West Bengal Police before being transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following an order by the Calcutta High Court.

Several accused persons have since been arrested in connection with the case, and legal proceedings are continuing.

Source: IANS