A Trinamul Congress activist tried to commit suicide by setting himself ablaze in front of party chief and railway minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence at Kalighat after failing to get a job in the railways. The incident took place on Sunday morning.
According to his family members, the local Trinamul Congress leaders had assured him a job in Ms Banerjee’s ministry, but had failed to fulfil the promise, prompting him to knock Ms Banerjee’s door for a job. Currently, he earns his living working under a local cable operator in Bansberia.
Brushing aside the promise of a job, Trinamul Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, “The incident has got nothing to do with politics. The man was depressed.”
Accompanied by a group of youth, the 38-year-old party worker from Chinsurah in Hooghly, Prasun Dutta had come to Kalighat at around 10 am. The resident of Bakultala Lane in Bansberia walked up to Ms Banerjee’s residence at 30B, Harish Chatterjee Street, to meet her and seek a job. When Prasun was told by the police and security personnel that the railway minister was in New Delhi, he moved towards the party office adjoining her residence, disclosed a police officer. A drama unfurled 10 minutes later when Prasun doused himself with kerosene and tried to immolate himself stunning all, he recalled.
Before someone could anticipate anything, he jumped into the Tollygunge canal besides the party office. The railway protection force and police personnel rescued him and rushed him to the M.R. Bangur Hospital with severe burn injuries. When asked about his identity, Prasun told the mediapersons, “I am a Trinamul Congress worker of ward number 3 in my locality. Everyone knows me well.”
At around 1.20 pm, Prasun was shifted to a private nursing home.