Kolkata: The West Bengal BJP unit on Wednesday took out a rally protesting against the death of a youth from Bengal in Kerala and questioned why mainstream political parties were silent over the issue.

The BJP took out a candle light march from Swami Vivekanada’s house in North Kolkata to Shyambazar and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits responsible for the death of Hemanta Roy Bagdi, an electrician from Bengal’s Bankura district working in Alappuzha district of Kerala, who was found dead with his throat slit in the toilet of the house where he was staying on December 10.

“We want to ask both CPI(M) and TMC, why are they mum on the death of Hemanta. Is it because he is a Hindu? The Kerala Police is trying to hush up the matter by saying that it was a suicide. My question is why would someone commit suicide by slitting his throat? Why is TMC not coming down to the streets to protest against this killing?'” BJP state general secretary Deboshree Chaudhuri said.

Ms Chaudhuri said the state government was prompt in announcing Rs. 3 lakh compensation for Mohammed Afrazul of Malda who was killed in Rajasthan last week.

“We have no problem in giving Mohammed Afrazul compensation. But why will Hemanta’s family be deprived of compensation,” she said.

The police said that forensic examination of the body of a labourer from West Bengal, who was found dead in Kerala, would be conducted while his family members claimed he was murdered, Bankura superintendent of police Sukhendu Heera said.

Sub-divisional Police Officer of Bishnupur S K Das said forensic examination of the body would be conducted after it arrives from Kerala.

Though the local police authorities in Kerala said after postmortem examination that he committed suicide, his family members are not convinced and alleged he was murdered, Mr Heera said.