Trinamul embraces, then disowns

- Shibu gets public reception in May, dumped in June

KINSUK BASU

The Barrackpore club from where two photojournalists, Astik Chattopadhyay of ABP Ananda and Barun Sengupta of 24 Ghanta, were rescued by police on Friday. Two Trinamul flags lie on the windowsill. A third journalist, Tona Singha Roy of Kolkata TV, was also attacked. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

June 8: A public function was organised on May 20 at Barrackpore's Natun Pally to welcome Shibu Yadav into the Trinamul Congress, which is now disowning the 33-year-old after his name surfaced in connection with yesterday's assault on three photojournalists.

"Everyone remembers the event where Shibu joined Trinamul in the presence of Bhatpara MLA Arjun Singh, Titagarh municipality chairman Prashanta Chowdhury and councillor Om Prakash Gond," said a Trinamul activist from Barrackpore's Sadar Bazar area.

He added: "Singh had handed Shibu a party flag at that function."

Police had yesterday quoted the three journalists, assaulted while covering the violent fallout of an intra-Trinamul feud, as saying the attackers were party supporters owing allegiance to Shibu.

The promptness with which Trinamul leaders have distanced themselves from Shibu became the talking point today in Barrackpore, about 30km north of Calcutta.

Trinamul's observer for North 24-Parganas, Jyotipriya Mullick, had announced within hours of the attack that Shibu was not a party member. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee instructed the police to arrest the culprits, prompting Shibu to go underground.

MLA Singh told The Telegraph: "Now that Mamata Banerjee has denied Shibu was a party member, what can I say? I can't comment." He did not explain when and where the chief minister made this statement.

Singh is believed to be close to Dinesh Trivedi, Trinamul MP from Barrackpore. Singh became a natural ally of Trivedi as the MLA was always at loggerheads with the party's all-India general secretary Mukul Roy, who is from Kanchrapara in North 24-Parganas.

Local people alleged that Shibu was an extortionist and had worked for the CPM and the Congress before joining Trinamul less than three weeks ago.

"Political parties use people like Shibu," a Trinamul insider said. "After being taken into the fold, he was asked to strengthen the party's organisation among auto drivers plying between Barrackpore station and Dhobi Ghat."

He added: "Shibu was also asked to oversee the party's union among matador operators in Barrackpore."

Residents said Shibu and his gang would roam parts of Sadar Bazar and Natun Bazar extorting money from traders. A businessman suggested that Shibu's control over the local youths was one reason why Arjun Singh had inducted him into the party.

Shibu's neighbours in Natun Pally said he had left the CPM in end-2010 as its fortunes declined. His elder brother Bhola, a former Congress activist, apparently helped him join the Youth Congress as head of its Natun Bazar unit.

A shopkeeper said Shibu had started off by extorting money from civil contractors at Palta waterworks and scrap-iron dealers and gradually emerged as a strongman.

"He took protection money from every lorry at the government brickfield behind the North Barrackpore municipality," he said.

"Almost everybody knew about Shibu's track record," a trader said, "but still he was allowed to join Trinamul. The Trinamul leaders now disowning him should explain why he was handed the party flag at his induction."

At Shibu's modest home, his nieces claimed their uncle was being framed by political rivals in the party.

"Who said that those who beat up the journalists were uncle's men? Did they have his name written on their faces? The media are giving only one side of the story," said Pinky Yadav, one of Shibu's nieces.

"Even Arjun Singh has not called us now that Shibu is in a spot. It is all a fallout of political rivalries within Trinamul."

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130609/jsp/frontpage/story_16988213.jsp#.UbScgOeBlA0