Unidentified individuals shot dead a Trinamool Congress leader on the railway tracks at Bandel station in Hooghly district in West Bengal on Saturday, PTI reported quoting the police. The party called for a 12-hour strike in Chinsura town on Sunday to protest the killing.

Dilip Ram, 40, who was also a Railways employee, was taken to the nearby Chinsurah Imambara Hospital. He died while being shifted to a hospital in Kolkata, 45 km away, Chandernagore Commissioner of Police Akhilesh Chaturvedi said. The police officer said Ram was gunned down when he was on his way to board a train for Naihati station.

A murder case has been filed and an investigation is under way, Chaturvedi added.

The Trinamool Congress blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party for the killing. “The BJP which has won the Hooghly Lok Sabha seat is trying to create a Bhatpara-like situation here,” Chinsura Trinamool Congress MLA Asit Mazumdar said. “It is often threatening and driving out our party leaders. We had informed the Chandernagore police commissioner and Chinsurah inspector in-charge several times but no action was taken.”

Several people were injured in clashes between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Bhatpara area in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal earlier this month.

However, West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh blamed the Trinamool Congress. He and Hooghly BJP MP Locket Chatterjee alleged that “cut money” and infighting within the Trinamool Congress were responsible for the killing.

Earlier this month, Trinamool Congress leader Nirmal Kundu was shot dead in Kolkata while he was talking to local residents. Four people, including BJP supporter Suman Kundu, were arrested following the incident.