TMC blames RSS for Kolkata Nagerbazar blast, BJP hits back

The explosion was reported outside a fruit shop on the ground floor of a multi-storey building in the congested Kazipara area under the jurisdiction of Dumdum PS.

Kolkata: Blame game seems to have started between the ruling Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party over the high-intensity blast that took place in Kolkata's northern suburbs earlier on Tuesday.

Barely hours after the explosion was reported, West Bengal Minister Purnendu Basu blamed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) saying that this sort of blast is similar to the ones carried out by the Sangh elsewhere. "I think this type of blast is similar to the ones carried out by RSS elsewhere," he said.

Hitting back at the minister's statement, BJP leader Mukul Roy asked the former to get an NIA enquiry done, if they are so sure about RSS' involvement in the blast.

Roy denied all charges made by the TMC and said that they have the habit of levelling false allegations. "This is a false allegation. If they're sure of it get an NIA enquiry done. They have the habit of levelling false allegations. It is their political game," he said.

An eight-year-old boy died and several others were injured, including a woman, in a high-intensity blast in Kolkata's Dum Dum Nagerbazar.

The explosion was reported outside a fruit shop on the ground floor of a multi-storey building in the congested Kazipara area under the jurisdiction of Dumdum Police Station around 9 AM, a police officer said.

The blast ripped through adjacent shops and damaged the pedestrian walk, eyewitnesses said.

Those injured in the blast were immediately rushed to the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

A forensic team and sniffer dogs were rushed to the spot to ascertain the nature of the explosion, police added.