12-Hour Bandh Called By BJP In North Bengal Over MLA's Death

The West Bengal BJP called a 12-hour bandh in the districts of North Bengal on Tuesday to protest against the death of the MLA Debendra Nath Ray. In view of the bandh, the administration has made strict security arrangements.

Politics got heated over the death of BJP MLA, which the Party termed as a planned murder by TMC and has made it an election issue.

#WestBengal BJP has called 12-hour 'bandh' in the districts of North Bengal today to protest over the death of BJP MLA Debendra Nath Ray, whose body was found hanging in Bindal near his village home. Visuals from Siliguri and Raiganj. pic.twitter.com/GJJUsTxldk

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2020

During the bandh, BJP workers took to the streets in many districts since morning and started closing shops forcibly. BJP workers from Siliguri to Raiganj are protesting and attacked the government bus in Cooch Behar.

Dilip Ghosh, BJP MP and state president said, “Today we have called bandh in North Bengal, upper portion from Farakka. Protest will be done in center points of every district against this murder and violence. Tomorrow we will show protest in front of all police stations in Bengal. This will be a token protest against the political violence, murder and torture on BJP workers.”

In protest against the barbarous murder of Hemtabad MLA Debendra Nath Ray, we have called for a 12 hours "North Bengal Bandh" from 6AM to 6 PM.

Urging everyone to join us. pic.twitter.com/1dQWVn2c5Z

— Dilip Ghosh (@DilipGhoshBJP) July 13, 2020

Meanwhile, BJP general secretary and West Bengal BJP in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya said that there should be a CBI inquiry into the murder.

He said that on Tuesday, a delegation of Bengal BJP headed by him will first meet Home Minister Amit Shah and then President Ram Nath Kovind and submit a memorandum regarding the law and order situation in West Bengal.

TMC leader and state minister Farhad Hakim rejected BJP's demand for CBI inquiry and said that the state police and CID are capable of investigating the case.

Earlier on Monday morning, the body of Debendra Nath Ray, MLA from Hemtabad seat on a  CPI-M ticket and who had joined BJP in 2019, was found hanging near his home in Bindal village. The MLA's family and BJP alleged that he had been murdered.

The BJP alleged that the Trinamool Congress was behind the murder. Police received a suicide note from MLA Debendra Nath Ray's shirt pocket in which he accused two people for his death.

A suicide note is recovered from the shirt pocket of the deceased. Two persons have been named in the note as responsible for his death...(2/3)

— West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) July 13, 2020

CID investigation of the case has started investigation in the case, although no one has been arrested so far in this case.