BJP worker dies after alleged assault during party dispute in Panihati
Arup Saha died after intervening when his wife was verbally abused by fellow party workers in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas.
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker, Arup Saha, died on Sunday after being allegedly assaulted during a confrontation with other party members in Panihati, according to reports by Rediff, Hindustan Times and Telegraph India.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening in the North 24 Parganas district. The dispute reportedly began after the BJP Yuva Morcha president of Panihati Mandal-1 was accused of assaulting a local businessman, Shankar Dey.
Ruma Saha, the BJP secretary of the same mandal, allegedly objected to the assault on the trader. A police officer stated that some party workers then verbally abused her, prompting Arup Saha to intervene to rescue his wife.
Arup Saha was allegedly attacked by a group of people during the confrontation. He was taken to Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday morning.
Ruma Saha alleged that the assailants were followers of Nirmal Ghosh, a former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA. She and Panihati BJP MLA Ratna Debnath claimed that workers who had switched allegiance from the TMC to the BJP were involved in the incident.
A district police officer said that no formal complaint had been lodged as of Sunday morning. Police stated they are examining the allegations and will take legal action against those found responsible.