Amit Shah trying to influence probe into BJYM worker's death: TMC

Slamming Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his alleged attempt to influence the probe into the death of BJYM worker Arjun Chowrasia, the ruling TMC in Bengal on Friday urged him to ditch the "culture of vulture politics".

The party iterated that the top BJP leader should "focus on the law and order situation in BJP-ruled states, as the scenario here was far better".

Shah, who is in Bengal on a two-day visit, met the family members of Chowrasia, found hanging in an abandoned building in Kolkata's Kashipur, and demanded a CBI inquiry into his "political murder".

He maintained that the Union home ministry had taken cognizance of the incident and sought a report from the Bengal government.

Lashing out at Shah, senior TMC leader and minister Shashi Panja said, "He came to Bengal a year after the people of the state rejected his divisive politics. Now he is back with BJP's vulture politics. He should abandon this... The Union home minister, through his comments, is trying to influence the probe. He is spreading lies against the state government."

The Union minister, while talking to reporters during the day, said that political killings, attacks on opposition camp members were rampant in Bengal.

He also said that Chowrasia's family was manhandled and his body taken away by force.

Panja, however, said there was no need for an investigation by the central agency.

"He was saying that the body was taken away by force. Will the police not do their job by sending the body for post mortem? How can he make such a comment despite being the country's home minister? It is astonishing," she said.

Echoing her, senior TMC leader and Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya wondered whether the home minister was also an astrologer, having predicted that Chowrasia was murdered even before the probe got over.

"Any death is painful, but how come the Union home minister is calling his death a political murder even before the probe got over. Has he turned into a political astrologer?" she added.