Tension prevails in Lakshania village under Raiganj police station of North Dinajpur after a group of assailants, allegedly Congress activists, set ablaze a CPI-M activist last night.
It was learnt that Mr Binon Barman, a CPI-M activist was returning home from an election campaign organised for his brother Rajesh Barman, a CPI-M gram panchayat candidate from Moroltula village, when he was intercepted by a group of men near his house. The assailants poured petrol on his body and set him on fire.
Mr Barman managed to reach his home in that condition but fell down at the gate. His relatives and neighbours rushed to his rescue and brought him to Raiganj district hospital. He was referred to SSKM hospital in Kolkata this morning. Mr Barman is battling for his life.
Mr Dilip Narayan Ghosh, a member of CPI-M district committee said: “Binon was returning home last night from an election campaign organised for his brother when a group of men intercepted him and asked him to stop campaigning fopr the polls. They set him ablaze when he denied to agree to what they said. If police fails to arrest the criminals shortly we will launch movement against them.
On the otherhand the president of North Dinajpur district Congress committee, Mr Mohit Sengupta denied this charge and said that the Congress had no connection with this attack.
North Dinajpur police superintendent Mr SB Purnapatra said: “In order to prevent any untoward incident police patrolling has been intesified in the village.We have initiated an inquiry into the matter to trace whether any political party was involved in the attack.