A Bharatiya Janata Party worker was allegedly beaten to death by Trinamool Congress supporters over hoisting of the national flag on Independence Day in West Bengal's Hoogly district, police said.
TMC has denied the charge and the police has arrested eight persons in connection with the incident that occurred on Saturday afternoon in Khanakul area of the district.
A scuffle had broken out between two groups over hoisting of the national flag, a senior police official of the district said.
"One person was beaten to death. We have arrested eight persons. We have started an investigation into it," he said.
According to state BJP sources, Sudarshan Pramanik, 40, was beaten to death by TMC supporters.
The party has called a 12-hour Khanakul bandh, the sources said.
"Our party worker was beaten to death by TMC supporters over hoisting of the national flag in the area. Our party workers are not spared even on Independence Day," BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said.
TMC leader and the party's spokesperson in the district, Prabir Ghosal refuted the charge and said the death was due to factional fight in BJP.
Bengal BJP in its official Twitter handle hit out at the ruling TMC over the incident.
'Sudarshan Pramanik, booth worker from Arambagh was brutally murdered while hoisting the flag on Independence Day. Suspects are from the ruling party who are on a killing spree even on the Independence Day. We must take a pledge for a #MamataMuktoBengal today.'
The saffron party workers led by party MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato and its state-level leaders blocked the state highway connecting Khanakul to Kolkata with the body of the deceased BJP worker.
The police lathicharged to disperse the crowd but there was no report of any injury.
