One dead in bomb attack on CPM rally in Burdwan

KOLKATA: A ration war between the Trinamool Congress government and opposition Left parties in West Bengal claimed its first victim when a group of miscreants hurled bombs at a CPI(M) rally organised to demand food security at Raina in Burdwan on Thursday.

CPI(M) worker Swapan Malik succumbed to splinter injuries sustained in the bomb attack in a hospital late at night, while 21 other partymen are undergoing treatment. Police have detained 16 men in connection with the incident.

Amal Haldar, CPI(M) district secretary of Burdwan, alleged TMC goons attacked the rally and started hurling bombs at them from a nearby school building.

Ahead of the assembly elections, CPI(M) has intensified the ration card movement against Mamata Banerjee government’s initiative to digitise ration cards and cancel duplicate cards.

In the last five days, there have been at least four incidents of rioting over ration cards in districts that has left many people injured.