A Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activist, injured during a clash with the police on 11 February, died on Monday, 15 February morning.
Reacting to the news, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, according to ANI, said that the family of the deceased has not filed a complain and the truth of the incident will be known only after the post-mortem report comes.
She also said that “every death is sad” and that they are willing to provide job and monetary help if the kin of the deceased want that.
“Family of deceased DYFI member hasn’t filed complaint. Truth about death will be known when post mortem report comes. Every death is sad. If family wants we can provide job & monetary help.”West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
Maidul Islam Midda’s demise, according to PTI, has triggered a political row in West Bengal. While the CPI (M) has dubbed his death ‘murder’, the TMC government, according to PTI, is calling it ‘suicide’.
BJP, on the other hand, according to The Indian Express, is lamenting Midda’s death and alleging that, “The TMC government has lost control over everything.”
The Kolkata Police, according to The Indian Express, however, is yet to confirm Midda’s cause of death, and his body has been set to Kolkata police’s morgue for postmortem.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Youth and students wings of the Left Parties had taken part in a march to the State Secretariat on Thursday, 11 February, according to media reports.
Clashes ensued between the protesters and the police, with police lathi-charging protesters and using tear gas shells and water canons to disperse them.
Maidul Islam Midda, a DYFI activist, suffered critical injuries amid clashes with the police, according to PTI, and was thereby taken to a private hospital in south Kolkata for treatment
His condition continued to deteriorate and he died on Monday morning due to excessive blood loss, said hospital authorities, according to PTI.
An FIR has been registered with the Shakespeare Sarani police station in Kolkata in connection with Midda’s death, reported PTI, citing Kolkata Police.
WHO WAS MAIDUL MIDDA?
According to The Hindu, Maidul Midda was a 31-year-old member of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of Communist party of India (Marxist).
Midda was a resident of Kotulpur in Bankura district, reported PTI.
WHO IS BLAMING WHOM?
While the West Bengal CM said that the truth of the death will be known after the post mortem report comes in; CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty told PTI that the lathi-charge by the police shows that, “TMC government is scared and worried.”
"This is nothing but murder. The way the students were lathi-charged during the march shows that the TMC government is scared and worried.”
He also added that: “The state administration is solely responsible for Midda's death.”
State BJP Chief Dilip Ghosh dubbed Midda’s demise as ‘unfortunate’ and said:
“It shows that the TMC government has lost control over everything. Whatever is happening in West Bengal is not correct.”
CPI (ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya, further, also took to Twitter to mourn the demise of Maidul and said: “Comrade Maidul, your sacrifice will intensify the battle of young India for jobs, justice and democracy.”
Meanwhile, West Bengal Congress took to Twitter to ask: “What was his fault?”
Senior TMC leader and state Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee, on the other hand, according to PTI, said:
“Any death is unfortunate. But that day the police was very sensible. I think this is nothing but suicide.”
(With inputs from PTI and The Hindu.)
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