3 Dead in Blast at TMC Leader's House in East Medinipur; BJP Says Bomb Making 'Flourishing' in WB

Three people are feared to have died, while two others suffered injuries allegedly after a crude bomb blast at a house in the East Medinipur district of West Bengal during the early hours of Saturday. The explosion reportedly happened near the ancestral residence of the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari.

The incident happened in the Bhagabanpur region of Purba Medinipur, hours before Abhishek Banerjee’s public meeting in the district’s Contai area — the home turf of Adhikari.

Alleging TMC’s involvement in the matter, Adhikari claimed the high-intensity explosion happened occurred at TMC leader Rajkumar Manna’s house while he was “making bombs” there. Manna is among the three people who died due to the explosion.

“3 Dead and 2 others grievously injured as TMC Leader’s house blows up in explosion at Bhupatinagar, Bhagabanpur ii Block, Purba Medinipur District. TMC Booth Presiden Rajkumar Manna was making bombs at his home when this high-intensity explosion happened,” Adhikari tweeted and demanded an NIA inquiry into the matter. 

East Midnapore is considered Adhikari’s home turf. Taking a jibe at the TMC-led government in the state, the BJP leader further claimed bombs are the state’s “most successful Cottage Industry products and are widely produced in TMC leaders’ homes across Bengal.”

Other two killed in the explosion were identified as Debkumar Manna, a cousin of Rajkumar and Biswajit Gayen.

According to local police sources, two others severely injured in the blast were rushed to a local hospital in adjacent West Midnapore district.

Questions were being raised on lapses in the security arrangements, especially when the entire area had been cordoned off by police since Friday because of Abhishek Banerjee’s rally. Huge police contingent has not only cordoned off the area where the Trinamool Congress’ national secretary is supposed to hold the rally, but also the ancestral residence of the leader of the opposition, to prevent any untoward incident at the time of the rally.

Police officers are totally tight-lipped over the probable cause of the blast. However, political mudslinging has started over the tragic incident.

BJP Attacks TMC Over Blast

According to the local BJP legislator from the Bhagabanpur assembly constituency, Rabindranath Maiti, the blast took place because of the stocked explosives at the residence of Manna which were meant for manufacturing of crude bombs.

“There is an attempt on part of the local administration to hush up the entire incident,” Maiti alleged.

Attacking the TMC government in the state over the bomb blast, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya claimed “bomb-making is the only flourishing cottage industry in Bengal.”

“All TMC leaders from top to bottom are involved in it, benefit from it. All this happens with impunity under the watch of Home Minister Mamata Banerjee. Question is what are these bombs used for? Who is the target?” tweeted Malviya.

Claiming that the TMC leader was himself making a bomb at his house, BJP MP Dr Sukanta Majumdar alleged “many” leaders of Mamata Banerjee’s party are “threat to the security of the Bengal and nation.”

TMC Denies Allegation

However, Trinamool Congress’s state general secretary and the party spokesman Kunal Ghosh denied the allegations and claimed that the local BJP activists are responsible for this explosion which they carried out to create tension in the area before Abhishek Banerjee’s rally.

“BJP has been trying to create tension in the area for the last few days. Their leaders, being escorted by the Central armed forces personnel, were trying to bring explosives in the area,” Ghosh alleged.

Claiming that BJP and Adhikari are involved in “some serious ploy of violence and arson”, Ghosh further alleged bombs were intended to be hurled during Banerjee’s programme in Contai.

“Suvendu has agreed that these bombs were intended to hurled at Contai. Now that he has spoken the truth. Were these made to hurl on our National General Secretary? BJP and Suvendu is involved in some serious ploy of violence & arson,” he tweeted.

Violence In South 24 Parganas

Meanwhile, violence was reported in South 24 Paraganas on Saturday, days after Police on Wednesday night cracked down on a bomb-making in the Bhangar area of the district.

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