Rebel BJP MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma joins TMC ahead of West Bengal polls
Kolkata (PTI): Rebel BJP MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma joined the ruling TMC in West Bengal on Thursday ahead of the assembly elections.
Sharma, a first-time MLA from Kurseong, joined the party at its headquarters in Kolkata, signalling a churn in the Darjeeling Hills before the assembly polls, expected to be held in the next two months.
He was welcomed to the TMC by Education Minister Bratya Basu and Industry Minister Shashi Panja
Sharma said he would work for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's "development model".
"I was elected by my Gorkha brothers and sisters, but I have not been able to work for them. The BJP made promises but did nothing. There was no real work on the ground," he said.
Sharma had repeatedly voiced support for the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state, arguing that the Hills require focused administrative attention and development.
He had also at times raised the pitch for a separate North Bengal state, insisting that regional aspirations were not being addressed adequately.
Sharma had publicly criticised the BJP several times in the past, and staged a demonstration outside the assembly over what he described as inaction on the demand for Gorkhaland.
He contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as an Independent from the Darjeeling seat, projecting himself as the "son-of-the-soil". The bid, however, failed to gain traction, with the BJP's Raju Bista retaining the seat.
Downplaying his joining the TMC, BJP chief whip in the assembly, Shankar Ghosh, said Sharma had no support base in his constituency and had not been in touch with the party for a long time.
"His joining the TMC will have no impact on the BJP in the Hills," Ghosh, the MLA of Siliguri, claimed.
Elections to the 294-member assembly are expected to be held in the next two months, with the term of the present House expiring in May.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
