TMC leader shot at in West Bengal, condition critical

Kolkata, July 15 A Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Dharmendra Singh, alias Dharua, was shot at by two bike-borne miscreants near his home in the North 24-Parganas district on Wednesday afternoon.

Singh, 40, a local TMC leader in the Kakinara locality, was taken to the Bhatpara State General Hospital. He was later shifted to a private hospital in Kolkata, where his his condition is stated to be critical.

Two bullets were fired at him. While one missed the target, the other hit him in the neck. The police have registered an FIR and cordoned off the area.

Singh had recently quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to join the TMC.

West Bengal Food Minister and North 24-Parganas TMC district president Jyotipriyo Mallick said the BJP MP from Barrackpore Arjun Singh was behind the attack. "The firing took place under the instruction of Arjun Singh. We have filed an FIR against him with the Bhatpara police station," he said.

Arjun Singh, however, said he didn't even know Dharmendra Singh and his political affiliations. The TMC's internal feud over sharing of money and resources was behind the attack, he said and added, the BJP had nothing to do with it.

( With inputs from IANS )