New Delhi: West Bengal police has put out a series of tweets insisting that the triple murder in Murshidabad had “nothing to do with politics.”
BJP, however, has remained steadfast in its claim that those killed were associated with the saffron brigade.
This week, a 35-year-old school teacher, his wife and their six-year-old child were hacked to death in their house in West Bengal’s Murshidabad. The woman may have been pregnant. A 42-year-old priest was also found dead near the Nadia river.
Also read: In Murshidabad Murders, a Chance for BJP to Slam TMC, Tug at Communal Heartstrings
Amidst growing attempts to communalise the murder, West Bengal police tweeted this week saying that the school teacher was also an insurance agent who was going through a serious financial crisis. He had also had some differences with his family.
“Prima facie it seems to be a case of personal enmity and has nothing to do with politics,” said Bengal police.
Murder of three members of a family of Kanaiganj, Jiaganj PS, Murshidabad is a sad incident. Investigation was started just after incident and 2 persons hv bn detained and are being examined.
It has so far bn found in investigation that the deceased person was also working.(1/3)— West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) October 11, 2019
as agent of some insurance and chain companies and was in a serious financial crisis.
His family members have denied affiliation with any political group. A diary note found is suggesting serious differences in the family.(2/3)— West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) October 11, 2019
CID has been asked to get associated with investigation. Prima facie it seems to be a case of personal enmity and it has nothing to do with politics.(3/3)
— West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) October 11, 2019
Likewise, Indian Express interviewed the school teacher’s mother who also denied that her son was associated with any political party: “He was like a white paper. Who told you he is a BJP member? He was never associated with BJP or Trinamool Congress. He was never with RSS. These are lies being spread.”
The BJP claims that the school teacher had recently joined the RSS and that he used to attend some of their weekly programmes. They also claimed that the priest was a party worker. Union minister Babul Supriyo has also said that those who were killed were “actually BJP workers”.
The police said that in the case of the school teacher, none of the local witnesses, family members of friends associated the teacher with the RSS. No related documents were found in their house either.
Babul Supriyo, meanwhile, has held that eight people have been killed in West Bengal in four days and that “people of Bengal will take revenge.”
West Bengal is due to go to assembly polls in 2021. Earlier this year, the BJP took 16 seats from the ruling Trinamool Congress in this year’s parliamentary polls.