statesman news service
BALURGHAT, 24 JUNE: Former state small scale industries minister and a CPI-M leader, Mr Narayan Biswas along with party district secretary for South Dinajpur and the district Left Front convener, Mr Manabesh Choudhury, are reportedly absconding till date.
Gangarampur police lodged a case against them, charging them with instigating violence during the cooperative society elections at Damdama on 23 September last year. Police have already arrested three CPI-M leaders of the same block ~ former Gangarampur municipality chairman Mr Balaram Ghosh, acting Gangarampur municipality chairman Mr Subal Basak and the local CPI-M leader Mr Achinta Chakraborty ~ on the same charge on 21 June. The district Marxist leaders, however, denied any involvement in the matter.
According to the district CPI-M leaders, the senior state level CPI-M leader and former minister Mr Manab Mukherjee, is currently visiting the district to boost the sagging morale of the rank and file ahead of the rural polls. “We are a bit distraught with the senior leaders having been arrested. Arrest warrants are dangling over the former ministers. We are happy that the party state committee has taken initiative to pump spirit in us. The party state secretary and state Left Front chairman, Mr Biman Bose along with the leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Mr Surya Kanta Misra will address a public rally on 30 June both in Balurghat and at Gangarampur,” a district Marxist leader said.
Mr Mukherjee called the arrest of the CPI-M leaders and the arrest warrants issued against two others a part of a Trinamul-hatched conspiracy to malign the party and its leaders. “Police filed a politically-fabricated case at the Trinamul Congress’ behest. We will organise a public rally soon in presence of the state level party leaders at Gangarampur,” he said.
The district president of South Dinajpur Trinamul Congress, Mr Biplab Mitra, however, rubbished the allegation. “We have nothing to do with the cases. Our party is against vendetta politics. Police are doing their duty,” he said.
The South Dinajpur police superintendent, Mr P Banerjee, said police are investigating the case from all angles. “While three of the accused CPI-M leaders have already been arrested the other two would be arrested soon,” he added.