TMYC man slaps govt official

MALDA: A day after a National Highways Authority of India official was heckled by ruffians with alleged links to Trinamool Congress, a divisional engineer from the state power department was allegedly roughed up and abused by men connected to the ruling party on Friday. The accused, TMYC working president Biswajit Roy, was suspended by the party for six years on Friday night. Trinamool Youth Congress workers on Friday had planned to stage an agitation at the WBSEDCL office at Rathbari under English Bazaar police station. Led by Roy, the agitators alleged that the department is issuing abnormal electric bills while farmers are not getting water for their land owing to poor voltage. They further alleged corruption in the tender process.With all these charges, Roy and his associates barged into the office of the divisional engineer and demanded explanations. In the absence of divisional engineer Sajal Mukherjee, Anirban Saha was in charge. Roy allegedly made Saha and cashier Bijoy Shankar Roy stand up to hear the demands. When Saha objected to an alleged vulgar comment, Roy allegedly grabbed his collar and slapped him.The officials were not in a mood to speak. On whether they would file a police complaint, they said, “We have to consult our higher officers.”Roy claimed there was “only a scuffle” and that “no one was insulted”. District party president Moyajjem Hossain claimed it was “only a scuffle” that took place when “some SEDCL workers’ rude behaviour irked TMYC workers”. Later, however, the party decided to suspend Roy.