Violence erupted in West Bengal ahead of the general elections, with reports of violence pouring from multiple places across the state, including South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad districts, since Monday, according to state police and people aware of the matter
At least five people were injured in clashes between workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Kumirmari, an island in the Sunderbans. The injured were shifted to the Canning subdivisional hospital, police said.
“Two persons have been arrested. It was because of an old rivalry over some land dispute. The complaint we received doesn’t mention that it was a political clash,” said a senior police officer of Baruipur police district who asked not to be named.
Locals, however, said that clashes broke out between TMC and BJP workers over the hoisting of party flags.
“BJP attacked our workers unprovoked. They even fired one or two rounds even though no one were hit,” Animesh Mondol, a TMC zilla parishad leader told reporters.
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Bikash Sardar, a local BJP leader, responded: “Our workers were hoisting flags when TMC workers attacked us and fired at our workers. Luckily, they missed.
At Bhangar in South 24 Parganas, a clash broke out between TMC and Indian Secular Front (ISF) workers over wall graffiti. At least five people were injured, officers from the Polerhat police station, which was brought under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Police in January, said
A clash also broke out at Berhampore in Murshidabad in which some injuries were reported, and police have arrested three people in connection with the incident, police said.
Brindaban Dolui, a BJP leader from Kathalia village, told reporters that TMC-backed miscreants attacked BJP supporters. “At least three persons were injured when TMC goons attacked the houses of our supporters and damaged a few motorcycles. The victims are now undergoing treatment at the Murshidabad Medical College Hospital,” he said.
TMC panchayat samiti leader Aizuddin Mondol denied the charge. “The TMC is not involved. The TMC candidate Yusuf Pathan will win by more than 1.5 lakh votes. The BJP knows this and is hence spreading communal tension,” he said.
Suvendu Adhikari, BJP legislator and leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, raised the matter with governor CV Ananda Bose. “Santanu Gharai, brother of a BJP booth president, was murdered in West Midnapore. At least 30 BJP workers were injured at Canning in South 24 Parganas after they were attacked by TMC-backed goons. At Santipur in Nadia, a minor girl was raped by a TMC leader’s son. A family of the victim is a BJP booth leader,” Adhikari said.
“We met he governor after the top brass of West Bengal Police refused to meet us. We have told the governor how the law and order has deteriorated in the state. We have requested the Governor to visit Canning and West Midnapore,” he added.
When contacted, state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said the Election Commission of India (ECI) was the body to address all such issues now. “After the elections were declared and the Model Code of Conduct came into force, and ECI has taken over the administration. They will address the issue,” she said.
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