A handout picture of the Trinamul graffiti against which the CPM has complained

Calcutta, April 21: Teenager Tapasi Malik had died a horrible death at the height of the anti-land acquisition agitation in Singur two-and-a-half years ago. But her charred body continues to suffer political mutilation at the hands of the CPM and the Trinamul Congress during the general election.

Trinamul had moved the Election Commission against CPM labour arm Citu for producing a CD showing a fictional version of Tapasi’s murder and complained about her “character assassination” by the state’s ruling party.

According to Trinamul, Tapasi’s name was changed to Manasi in the CD that claimed her family, enraged by her alleged illicit relationship and consequent pregnancy, had killed her.

This “fictional” version of Tapasi’s murder was screened in Singur and elsewhere in the state to counter the Trinamul campaign saying she was killed by the CPM.

On the morning of December 18, 2006, the burnt body of the 18-year-old girl was found in a pit inside what was then the Nano project site.

The murder case, still in court, has become stuff for a no-holds-barred propaganda war as an Opposition banner showing Tapasi’s charred body superimposed on the Tata Nano underlines.

Citu today petitioned the poll panel complaining against Trinamul for a graffiti at Adarshanagar, Behala, showing three men torturing her at the Nano project site and two lathi-wielding men standing guard with their faces half-covered with red scarves. “What kind of industrial policy is it that requires the rape of a girl like Tapasi Malik?” its asks.

In his letter to chief electoral officer Debashis Sen, Citu state secretary Kali Ghosh took pains to insist that “neither is there any indication of rape in the post-mortem report nor have the police brought this charge against the accused”.

“But Mamata Banerjee has vociferously claimed that Tapasi Malik was raped. This wall-painting is not only indecent, obscene and horrifying but also injects bad blood into our society and pollutes the young generation,” says the letter.

At a news conference this afternoon, Ghosh accused Trinamul of “stooping low” and called the wall-painting an “insult to Bengal’s culture”.

But neither Ghosh nor Citu state president Shyamal Chakraborty, also a Rajya Sabha MP and member of the CPM’s powerful state secretariat, would take questions on similar charges against their CD.

“There is no need to reply to all Opposition complaints,’’ said Chakraborty angrily.

He even declined to confirm if the film actually showed what Trinamul has alleged. “It’s not our job. See the CD yourself,’’ he said.

Faced with queries from the poll panel, the Citu leaders claimed the CD had “no relation” to the Tapasi case and the ongoing election campaigns. “We accept responsibility for the CD as producers but the characters were fictional. We have already told the EC that the CD has no connection with the Lok Sabha polls. There is no question of withdrawing it as it has not been declared illegal,” Ghosh said.

He went on to add that the film was meant to “educate party workers about the political use of the CBI and the weaknesses of our legal system”.

Asked why such education had become so urgent before the polls, Chakraborty said the CD was being screened for some time.

Like seasoned Bollywood producers, the CPM appeared to be relishing the row. “The CD is now in huge demand and has raked in a crore,” chuckled Chakraborty.