BJP march to Titagarh PS for CBI probe into Manish Shukla's murder

The BJP intensifying its stir against the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal has called a march to Titagarh police station on Friday to press for a CBI probe into the murder of party leader Manish Shukla. Barrackpore MP and senior party leader Arjun Singh told reporters that those behind the audacious murder of Shukla cannot be brought to book unless the probe is handed over to CBI from the state CID.

Shukla, a close aide of Singh and a councillor was shot dead on October 4 evening by a gang of four bike-borne men very near Titagarh police station when he was talking to some BJP workers outside the party office on B T Road. Shukla's father accompanied by senior BJP leaders had met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar the next day demanding a CBI probe into his murder.

Singh said, "We will intensify our protests for CBI inquiry into the killing of Shukla which was plotted by Trinamool Congress to weaken BJP's organisation in Barrackpore-Titagarh belt. The real culprits will have to be unearthed.

"We will peacefully protest outside Titagarh police station tomorrow. But we hope police will not do anything which will worsen the situation during the protest," he said.

The BJP and the police clashed in Kolkata and in neighbouring Howrah city on Thursday as a large number of saffron party workers and supporters took out a march to the state secretariat over worsening law and order defying COVID-19 regulations. The rally will begin from Titagarh station and terminate before Titagarh police station.

Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh and BP Yuva Morcha National President Tejasvi Surya visited Shukla's residence at Khardah on Thursday evening and told family members the party will launch a fierce protest demanding that his assailants are punished. Ghosh later told reporters that the police is being used for political purpose by the Trinamool Congress government and it spelt doom for democracy.

"Police is part of administration. The administration should work independently and not at the bidding of any party," he said.

In a counter-protest, Trinamool Congress will take out a big rally in Titagarh area on October 13 to protest against BJP's "ploy to create disturbance in the peaceful Barrackpore belt" after Shukla's murder, party chief whip in the assembly Nirmal Ghosh said. The rally will start from Titagarh police station and end at Chiria More at Barrackpore, he said. A senior police officer said four people have been arrested so far in connection with the murder. 

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