BJP's Arjun Singh blames Abhishek Banerjee for 'planned murder' of aide

BJP leader Arjun Singh accused TMC's Abhishek Banerjee of the 'planned murder' of Suvendu Adhikari's aide, Chandranath Rath. Singh alleged a sharpshooter was involved, calling the killing politically motivated post-poll violence in West Bengal.

BJP Accuses Abhishek Banerjee of 'Planned Murder'

BJP leader Arjun Singh on Thursday alleged that the killing of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was a "planned murder" carried out by a sharpshooter and accused Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee of involvement. Speaking to ANI here, Arjun Singh claimed the incident required a detailed investigation. "If this is post-poll violence or done by Abhishek Banerjee is a matter of investigation. This is a planned murder where a sharpshooter did the job. Abhishek Banerjee has some police officials who do this only. This is Abhishek Banerjee's doing," Singh alleged. The remarks came after Chandranath was allegedly shot at near Madhyamgram on Wednesday night and later succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital.

BJP leader Dilip Haldar also termed the killing "politically motivated" and linked it to alleged post-poll violence in the state. "It is a politically motivated murder. After the defeat, the ruling party's anger led to targeted killings. This was a planned murder," Haldar told ANI.

Earlier, Suvendu Adhikari described the incident as a "cold-blooded and pre-planned murder" and appealed to BJP workers to maintain peace while assuring that the culprits would be brought to justice. "This is a pre-planned murder, and this is what DGP said. A recce was done for two to three days, and the murder was fully planned," Adhikari said.

An eyewitness to the incident told ANI that the assailant arrived on a motorcycle and fired shots at point-blank range before fleeing the scene. "The person seemed to be an expert and fled immediately. It appeared to be pre-planned," the eyewitness said.

TMC Condemns Killing, Demands CBI Probe

Meanwhile, the All India Trinamool Congress condemned the killing and demanded a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident. In a statement posted on X, the party said it strongly condemned the murder of Chandranath Rath and also alleged that three TMC workers had been killed in incidents of post-poll violence allegedly involving BJP-backed miscreants.

The TMC stated that "violence and political killings have no place in a democracy" and demanded swift action to identify and punish those responsible. (ANI)

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