Howrah: A BJP functionary died after being allegedly attacked by Trinamool-backed miscreants in Bagnan’s Santoshpur area on Wednesday night.Shortly after, unidentified individuals allegedly left behind a white mourning cloth and Rs 5,000 in front of Prasanta Dey’s house, followed by a chilling 3am call to his wife, saying: “Your husband was doing too much BJP politics. We’ve killed him. Go, collect the body.” A note accompanied the cash, saying it was for his last rites.Police recovered Dey’s body around 4am and arrested eight persons in connection with the murder.According to his family, 39-year-old Dey — the vice-president of BJP’s Bagnan mandal 5 — left home for the party office around 8.30pm. Later, he went to Santoshpur for a function accompanied by other BJP workers. TMC goons allegedly attacked them there, beating them mercilessly with sticks and rods.While Dey died on the spot, three BJP workers were seriously injured. They were rushed to Bagnan Rural Hospital and later shifted to a private nursing home in Kolkata.Howrah district BJP secretary and legal cell convener advocate Omprakash Singh said: “Prasanta Dey was receiving death threats from Bagnan TMC MLA Arunava Sen’s men ever since BJP began gaining strength in the state. We had informed the police as well. Yet, this murder happened despite police vigilance. This shows how brazen they are.”During TMC’s term, Dey was once forced to leave his home and he continued party work while staying underground, Singh said. Locals claimed all of those arrested were TMC workers and notorious anti-social elements.Singh said the attack took place at the locality where TMC deputy chief of Haldan panchayat, Sk Mafijul — a close associate of MLA Sen — resides and claimed that he was behind the incident.TMC, however, countered that BJP workers attacked Mafijul’s house first, which triggered clashes between the two sides.Howrah Rural SP Amit Varma said all the eight accused have criminal antecedents and that a hunt was on for alleged mastermind Mafijul. More arrests are likely, he added.Local residents and BJP supporters blocked the Shyampur-Bagnan road on Thursday morning and ransacked Mafijul’s house. Tension ran high as police and central forces personnel patrolled the area
