Trinamool Congress leader Mustafa Sheikh was murdered in broad daylight in Sujapur, Malda district, West Bengal on Saturday. Sheikh was returning home from Namaaz when he was attacked by a group of individuals that the local residents identified as Congress workers. The Trinamool Congress party members have accused the Congress workers of carrying out the assassination. In protest of Sheikh’s murder, the Trinamool Congress workers blocked National Highway 34 with Sheikh’s body. West Bengal cabinet minister Sabina Yeasmin later visited the spot.
This is the seventh violent killing related to the upcoming panchayat elections, which are scheduled to be held on July 8, since the State Election Commission announced the election dates on June 8. The Congress denied the allegations and claimed that this murder was a result of infighting within the ruling party in the area.
The State Election Commission has asked for a detailed report from the district magistrate and district police superintendent of Malda regarding the incident. Yeasmin stated that the police should immediately arrest the assassins as the local residents had identified them.
These violent incidents are not uncommon in West Bengal during election periods. Political parties in the area resort to violence to prevent their opponents from campaigning or filing nominations. The violence has been a major concern for the State Election Commission in West Bengal.
