Investigation Underway In Bomb Attack On West Bengal Minister Jakir Hossain At Nimtita Railway Station In Murshidabad

West Bengal labour minister Jakir Hossain was injured after an unidentified group of people hurled a bomb at him at Nimtita railway station in Murshidabad on Wednesday (17 February), ANI reports.

The blast occurred at around 10.00 PM.

In total, 26 individuals were injured in the incident. Reportedly, West Bengal CID has taken over the investigation of the case.

“Around 26 of our people, including Jakir Hossain, were injured, and 14 of them are serious. Police investigation is on, CM said that CID, STF & CIF have joined in. I hope Railway will help them. On behalf of the party, we want that culprits be arrested & brought to court,” state cabinet minister Firhad Hakim was quoted as saying in the report.

He further alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the attack and said that the investigating agencies will probe and discover the people behind it.

Meanwhile, Indian Railways condemned the incident and said that they immediately initiated relief and rescue measures. However, the national transporter also held the West Bengal police responsible given that law and order is a state subject.

“Injured were rushed by RPF and other Railway authorities to hospitals. It may be noted that law and order is a State subject and the State police fully responsible for it. Injured were rushed by RPF and other Railway authorities to hospitals. It may be noted that law and order is a State subject and State police fully responsible for it,” Indian Railways was quoted by ANI as saying.

On the other hand, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has said that the rail ministry is taking the incident “lightly”; that the attack “was a conspiracy”; and that Hussain had been under pressure to jump ship from TMC to some other party.

As per sources the incident is purportedly said to be a result of a political rivalry between the TMC and CPM. The matter may also be linked to an internal feud among TMC cadres. Hussain himself had filed a police complaint in 2017 against two TMC members, who were giving him death threats

TMC and CPI are the main political rivals in the area and Hussain had defeated CPM candidate Somnath Singh Rai in the last election. A week ago communist activists led by DYFI organised a protest march towards Nabanna demanding jobs and were brutally lathi charged by the cops.

A DYFI activist has succumbed to his injuries which had led to a tense environment in Nimtita.