Burdwan (West Bengal): A seven-year-old boy was killed and another child injured in a crude bomb explosion in this town Monday. The bomb explosion took place around 11.00am in Rasikpur’s Subhaspally area of the city, police said.
Sheikh Afroz (7) and Sheikh Ibrahim (9) were playing near their house when they hit a packet with their feet. The packet had crude bombs and exploded immediately, Burdwan police station’s IIC Pintu Saha said. Locals rushed to the spot after hearing the explosion. They found the two kids lying in a pool of blood, he said. They were taken to the Bardhaman Medical College and Hospital where Afroz died a while later, he informed. Ibrahim is undergoing treatment, but his condition is also critical.
Afroz’s uncle Sheikh Feroz said that children of the locality play at that spot every morning. However, only the two victims were out Monday. An investigation has been initiated and the area has been cordoned off, the police officer said.
The explosion triggered tension in the area ahead of the elections. Following the incident, the Election Commission sought a report from the district magistrate of Purba Bardhaman. “A quick report has been sought from the district magistrate. Prior to the elections, this is a very serious matter,” said an official.
Rasikpur is in the Bardhaman Dakshin constituency where polling will be held in the fifth phase on April 17.
The opposition BJP and CPI(M) attacked the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the explosion. They alleged that there was a breakdown of the law and order situation in West Bengal.
“TMC party offices in several areas have become factories for making crude bombs. If truth needs to be told, TMC’s ‘Khela Hobe’ slogan is a veiled threat to intimidate people. They are trying to terrorise people,” Union Minister and BJP leader Babul Supriyo said.
CPI(M)’s legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty said the ‘power-hungry’ TMC was treating people like commodities. The incident was proof of that. “It is a very condemnable and shameful incident. Is Bengal all about this kind of violence? The cries of ‘Khela Hobe’ (game will happen) show what the ruling side actually means,” he said.
The TMC condemned the incident and slammed the opposition for doing politics over it. “This is a very sad incident. A child has died, and it is indeed tragic. There should be no politics over the incident. The BJP is irresponsible to do politics about it,” senior TMC MP Sougata Roy said.
“Right now, law and order is the responsibility of the Election Commission. I hope that they will take proper action after a thorough investigation. Such incidents are not always political,” Roy added.