Assam killings: TMC links deaths to NRC, protests in Bengal

West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday held protests across the state against the killing of five Bengalis in Assam's Tinsukia as it put the blame on the Assam government and their NRC move.

The Trinamool claimed that the discriminatory attitude of Assam towards the Bengali-speaking population in the draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) "encouraged" the terrorists to carry out the "mass murders".

The five victims, including three of a family, were allegedly gunned down by an unidentified group in Kheronibari village of Dholla late on Thursday.

"We are organising protest rallies in Kolkata and several districts including Howrah, Nadia, Hoogly and parts of north Bengal against the brutal mass murder of five Bengalis in Assam," Trinamool Secretary General Partha Chatterjee told the media here.

"It is evident that the terrorists were encouraged by the way the names of Bengali-speaking people were selectively left out of the draft NRC in Assam to gain political benefits.

"Yesterday's mass murders were an outcome of that encouragement given to the extremists," he claimed.

Accusing the Assam government of atrocities on "Bengalis and attempts to illegally drive them out (from Assam)", the leader said the party has decided to hit the streets across the state against the murders.

"We have protested against the conspiracy against the Bengalis living there in the name of NRC from the very beginning.

"Our leader Mamata Banerjee has been vocal against the political conspiracy behind it," Chatterjee added.

As part of of the party's agenda, several Trinamool leaders and activists in the city, led by MP and Chief Minister's nephew Abhishek Banerjee, rallied from Jadavpur to Hazra crossing on Friday.

TMC leaders, including Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Chandrima Bhattacharya also participated in the rally.

The protesters tied a black scarf on their mouth and carried black flags with messages condemning the killings.

A huge black banner with the message "shame" on it was carried by them. Some placards also termed the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre as the "Bengali-killers".

--IANS

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