3 killed in bomb blast at ruling party leader's house in India's West Bengal

NEW DELHI, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Three people, including a local leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), were killed in a bomb blast in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, officials said Saturday.

The blast took place Friday night inside the house of the local leader at Nariabelia village of East Medinipur district, about 135 km southwest of Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal.

"Three persons were killed in a blast last night after a bomb exploded at the residence of a local booth president of the TMC, Rajkumar Manna, in Nariabelia village of Bhupatinagar area here," a local government official in East Medinipur district said. "The two others who were killed in the blast were identified as his brother Debkumar Manna and another person Biswajit Gayen."

According to police, the house was fully damaged in the blast and almost got burnt down.

Following the explosion, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that the bomb went off while being manufactured at Manna's home and demanded a probe by India's top anti-terror agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

"TMC leader Rajkumar Manna was making bombs at his home when this high-intensity explosion happened. I demand NIA investigation," leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari said in a statement posted on social media.

However, the TMC denied the allegations and said the party has no role in the blast. It also said Manna's home was attacked by the BJP in order to jeopardize Abhishek Banerjee's rally.