Kolkata, Oct. 27 -- The deaths of Prahlad Das, the prime accused in the rape and murder of a minor girl in Gaighata, and Shamaul Sheikh, accused in the BJP leader murder case at Dhulian, in police encounters has triggered a political debate in West Bengal, with ruling party leaders defending the police action while Opposition leaders have questioned the circumstances leading to the shootings.
BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said police are establishing the rule of law, which was absent for a long time. "These are not encounters. Police are defending themselves," he said.
Former BJP state president Dilip Ghosh and state minister Tapas Roy backed the police action, arguing that the police had to respond firmly to an attack. In contra...