CPI-M leader shot dead in Nandigram

Kolkata, Aug 6 : A Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader was shot dead Wednesday afternoon, allegedly by members of Bhoomi Uchhed Protirodh Committee (BUPC), at Nandigram in West Bengal's East Midnapore district, the police said.

"CPI-M leader Niranjan Mondal was shot dead at Nandigram's Rajaramchak area Wednesday around 4 p.m. The party activists are holding BUPC responsible for the incident. But we cannot take any name till we are done with our investigation," officer-in-charge of Nandigram police station Debasis Chakraborty told IANS.

Police sources said that Mondal was shot in the back and head while returning home on his motorbike. He was the president of the CPI-M 's Rajaramchak local committee.

Niranjan Sihi, a CPI-M leader at Nandigram, said: "We are sure Mondal was shot by BUPC members. They are deliberately spreading violence because they can't tolerate that people are slowly taking our side. We have repeatedly asked for police protection for a long time but have been denied till date."

Another CPI-M leader was allegedly shot at in Nandigram Sonachura area Tuesday night. He has been hospitalised.

Asok Gudia, CPI-M district secretariat member, said: "We have called for a 12-hour shutdown at five blocs of Nandigram - Nandigram I & II, Chandipur, Bheria and Nandagram - to protest these repeated attacks on our party members."