Bengal burning: 2 kids among 8 charred to death in Birbhum

Kolkata: In an alleged manifestation of intra-party feud in West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, eight persons including two children were charred to death in Birbhum district on Tuesday, soon after the "murder" of a local leader of the party. The incident triggered a political storm with the Opposition BJP seeking imposition of President's Rule in the State while the TMC termed the demand as conspiracy to malign it.

Opposition parties claimed that the TMC is behind the incident, a charge denied by the ruling party.

Describing the deaths as "horrific", West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar claimed that the state is in the grip of a culture of "violence and lawlessness". Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requested Dhankhar to refrain from making unwarranted statements and alleged that his comments have "political overtones" supporting other political parties to browbeat the state government. DGP Manoj Malaviya told reporters that eight people, including two children, died in the early hours of Tuesday after their houses caught fire at Bogtui village near Rampurhat town. The incident took place soon after the alleged murder of Trinamool Congress leader Bhadu Sheikh, deputy chief of the local panchayat, Malaviya said.

However, the DGP did not confirm it as "political violence". "We are not confirming that the fire was because of retaliation of other incidents. It is being looked into. If it was, it was due to a deep-rooted personal enmity," he said.

At least eight houses caught fire and police officers and firemen had reached the place by midnight, Malaviya said.

"The situation is now under control, and a police picket was posted in the village. We are investigating how the houses caught fire and whether the incident is related to the death of the panchayat deputy chief of neighbouring Barshal village," he said.