The Trinamool Congress is quietly stepping into the opposition space in Uttar Pradesh.
After campaigning for Samajwadi Party in the recent Assembly elections, the Trinamool is apparently eyeing a bigger role in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
A Trinamool delegation will be visiting Prayagraj on Sunday where a family of five was found murdered on Saturday. This is the first party from outside the state to visit the site of crime.
The Samajwadi Party (SP), which is the main opposition force in Uttar Pradesh, has not gone beyond condemning the incident in a press statement.
SP MLA Shivpal Singh Yadav, however, did visit the family of the deceased on Saturday but said that he had come in his ‘personal capacity’.
The TMC delegation to Prayagraj comprises Dola Sen, Mamata Bala Thakur, Saket Gokhale, Uma Soren and Lalitesh Tripathi.
Lalitesh Tripathi, who joined the Trinamool after quitting the Congress, said that the Prayagraj murders were ‘shocking’ because they come days after another family of five was murdered in the city.
Sources said that Trinamool had decided to play a more proactive role as an opposition party in Uttar Pradesh and will take on the Yogi government head on.
“It is clear that the opposition in UP lacks the punch needed to tackle the ruling BJP,” said a Trinamool state leader.
It may be recalled that five members of a family were killed with sharp-edged weapons in the Khevrajpur village in Prayagraj.
This is the second such case reported in the state in one week.
Last Saturday, the bodies of five members of a family were found inside their house in Prayagraj.
The bodies of the woman and three daughters were found with their throats slit open, while the man was found hanging from a noose.
In the recent case, the victims were identified as Rajkumar Yadav, 55, his daughter Manisha ,25, his wife Kusum ,50, daughter-in-law Savita ,30, and Rajkumar’s granddaughter Mitakshi 2.
As per the preliminary report, all five dead persons had head injuries. There is no confirmation if Rajkumar’s daughter Manisha and daughter-in-law Savita were raped or not. Their vaginal swabs have been taken and sent to FSL lab for examination.
The house of the victims was also set on fire after the crime was committed. The police were informed about the incident by the brother of Rajkumar Yadav.
Prayagraj Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Kumar said, “There was a fire in the bedroom which has been extinguished by the fire brigade. Bodies have been sent for post-mortem. Till now motive behind the incident is not clear. Further investigation underway.”
The Prayagraj incidents come days after the BJP sent similar teams to Bogtui in Birbhum district where nine people were burnt alive, and to Hanskhali in Nadia district where a minor girl died after she was allegedly gang-raped.