Kolkata: Police, SFI-DYFI leaders clash over Left youth leader Maidul Islam Middya's death

The 32-year-old activist of CPI-M's youth wing, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), who was allegedly injured in police lathicharge during Left student-youths' Nabanna Abhiyan rally on Feb 11, died at a private nursing home in south Kolkata's Camac Street on Monday morning.

Police and the leaders of Students' Federation of India (SFI) and DYFI clashed in Moulali area here when the body was about to be taken to police morgue for postmortem.

In some visuals, the Left youth leaders were seen rescuing a police official, whose shirt was torn in the clash.

"We saved the police today instead of attacking them. Police were making provocative statements," said SFI state secretary Srijon Bhattacharya.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she had called up CPI-M MLA Sujan Chakraborty over Maidul's death and also offered state government job.

Reacting to it, Chakraborty said, "Yes she had called me at around 9:30 am and said she came to know about the death. She expressed grief and also offered government job if the deceased's family is poor. The fight is not personal but the young people are demanding jobs from the government."

According to reports, DYFI activist Maidul Islam Middya, who was a resident of Kotalpur in Bankura district, died following a massive cardiac arrest in the hospital where he was undergoing treatment since Feb 11.

CPI-M leader and doctor Fuad Halim, who was treating Maidul Islam Middya, claimed that the Left activist had died due to rhabdomyolysis what he developed due to multiple muscle injuries.

"After being beaten up by police during Nabanna abhiyan on Feb 11, Maidul Islam Middya's multiple muscles were badly damaged and those muscle injuries caused rhabdomyolysis which led to a renal (kidney) failure, and his lungs were also affected," Fuad Halim said.

"On Monday morning, the 32-year-old activist suffered a massive cardiac arrest and we lost our comrade," Halim added.

Condemning the police action, Sujan Chakraborty said, "This is not just a death, it's a murder— the government has killed a youth, who was a sole earner in his family and was staging a protest demanding education and job for all."

Congress leader Abdul Mannan said, "A young activist, who had demanded education and job for all, was beaten up by police during the Nabanna rally and he died today— we strongly condemn it."