BJP delegation meets Prez over 'political killings' in WB

Seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the mysterious death of party leader Debendra Nath Ray, a Bharatiya Janata Party delegation met President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday and demanded dismissal of the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal.

The delegation, which included BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, party MP Raju Bista and nominated Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta among others, told President Kovind that Ray's "murder" is another one in the long series of "political killings" in the state.

The body of Hemtabad MLA Debendra Nath Ray was found hanging from the ceiling of a verandah outside a shuttered shop near his home in Bindal village in North Dinajpur district on Monday.

The post-mortem report, released on Tuesday, said that Roy died due to hanging and no other injury mark was found on his body.

The West Bengal Police said a suicide note was found in his shirt's pocket where he blamed two people for his death.

Ray's family and the BJP, however, claimed he was "murdered by the TMC", a charge denied by the ruling party in the state.

"Democracy has been hanged in West Bengal. Political workers were being killed so far, and now elected leaders are being murdered and shown to have committed suicide. Anarchy prevails in the state, and its government has no right to be in power... We have demanded that the assembly be dissolved," Vijayvargiya said.

He alleged that over 105 people associated with the BJP have been killed in the state in last three years.

Bista alleged that the state police and other agencies were being used by the Mamata Banerjee government to "harass" her political rivals, and that a CBI probe was necessary to bring out the truth.

Dasgupta said "political murders" in the state have just gone on for too long, and Ray's alleged killing was not an isolated incident.

"We have seen a series of them... There is also harassment of political rivals in violation of all democratic norms," he said.

The BJP has termed Ray's death a "cold-blooded murder" and alleged involvement of the ruling Trinamool Congress in it. His family has also said that he was "murdered" and sought a CBI investigation.

Ray had won Hemtabad (reserved) seat on a CPI(M) ticket in 2016 but later joined the BJP. He had, however, not quit his assembly seat.

According to the post-mortem report, Ray's death was due to hanging and no other injury mark was detected. The West Bengal Police said a suicide note was found from his shirt pocket where he blamed two people for his death.