Bengal BJP worker 'murdered', guilty will be punished: Amit Shah

Shah, who is on a two-day state visit, rushed to meet the family and said BJP will stand with them "like a rock", and added that the Center has sought a report from the state.

Twenty-six-year-old Arjun Chaurasia, who was BJP's youth wing leader in Kashipur, was found hanging at an abandoned Railway quarter early on Friday.

Trinamool Congress leader Atin Ghosh, meanwhile, claimed that Chaurasia was their worker and had actively worked for the party during the civic poll.

Shah said those guilty will be punished, adding that the case should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"The Home Ministry has taken serious cognizance of the incident and has sought a report from the West Bengal government," the Home Minister said.

Shah said Chaurasia's family alleged he had been brutally murdered.

"Trinamool government has just completed one year, and the very next day, the tradition of political violence and political murders in West Bengal have started again. Throughout Bengal, wherever we go, there are several examples of political violence, revenge murders, and targeting of workers of opposition parties," Shah said.

"BJP strongly condemns the murder of Arjun Chaurasia, we will ensure those guilty of murdering Chaurasia will be given the most stringent punishment," he said.

Shah accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of indulging in politics of violence, and said BJP is fighting it and will continue to fight it.

"I want to tell the people of Bengal, the BJP is fighting against this. In Bengal, suppressing voices of opposition, intimidating them with violence is nothing new. Earlier it used to happen under the Communist rule, now the legacy continues only with more fervour under Trinamool Congress' rule," he said.

He also slammed the police and authorities over the scuffle that happened when Chaurasia's body was taken away just ahead of the Union Home Minister's arrival, and said the post mortem should be camera-monitored.

"I met the victim's family... Chaurasia's grandmother was also beaten. Chaurasia's dead body was snatched away from the family. BJP workers have gone to court to demand a post mortem of the body on camera. The probe should be given to the CBI," A Special Task Force of Kolkata Police took away the body against the wishes of the Chaurasia family for postmortem in the government owned R G Kar Hospital in north Kolkata.

The family had also urged them to wait till the arrival of Shah, but the officials did not agree.

After hours of a tug of war between the police force and BJP activists, police took away Chaurasia's mortal remains around 12.50 pm.

BJP's lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal took the victim's mother to the city high court for moving an appeal seeking suspension of postmortem of Arjun Chaurasia, fearing the evidence of the death could be tampered with.

"There have been many murders after election, yesterday after one year, they are giving out the message that they will not stop. BJP does not believe in the politics of violence nor is scared of it. We will ensure in the court of law that the murderers are punished," Shah said.

He said the TMC was trying to create an atmosphere of fear.

"I talked to the family, they are hurt, because of losing their son and also because of the behavior of the administration. BJP will stand with the family like a rock," he said.

According to Chaurasia's family, he had gone out after returning from work on Thursday, and did not return.

The family also claimed he has been receiving threats since May 2, 2021.

BJP MP and former state president Dilip Ghosh alleged that Chaurasia was hung after being murdered.

(With UNI inputs)