Raiganj : A Congress activist was killed and about a dozen houses were set ablaze at Lalbabzar in North Dinajpur district on May 1 within 24 hours of the killing of a district committee member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM)), Akbar Ali in pre-panchayat poll violence.

On April 30, Ali was killed allegedly by Congress processionists, following which CPM cadres gheraoed and stoned the chopra police station leading to police firing in which three CPM supporters including gram pradhan of Lalbazar were killed.

After the incident on April 30, CPM and Congress workers clashed, burning about 150 houses and shops in the area.

The situation following CPM’s 12-hour bandh in Chopra police station area on May 1 is under control.

Meanwhile, Congress Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha denied that the killers of Ali were Congressmen and blamed it on internal squabbles of the CPM

Dasmunshi, who was heckled allegedly by CPM supporters and his driver assaulted at Mullickpur in the district on May 1 demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court into the incident.

PTI