'Perpetrators Will Be Silenced': Bengal Guv Assures Action Against Violence Ahead Of Panchayat Polls

Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has assured action against perpetrator of violence in Bengal ahead of the Panchayat polls in the state.

Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday visited the violence-hit Bhangar district in West Bengal and assured action against the perpetrator, adding that they would be 'silenced in a permanent way'. He said violence would be the first victim in this election. "I interacted with the victims of violence and locals. I can assure the people of Bengal that violence will be the first victim in this election. The perpetrators of violence will be silenced in a permanent way under the Constitution and law of the land. Peace-loving people of Bengal should be able to exercise their franchise," he said.

This comes as the West Bengal Police recovered bomb-making material in Bhangar following recent violence during nominations for Panchayat elections.

Three persons were shot dead and several others were injured as violence and arson marked the conclusion of nomination filing. Two persons were killed at Bhangore in South 24 Parganas district, around 30 km from Kolkata, while another youth was gunned down by miscreants at Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district, around 50 km from Siliguri, in the northern part of the state, police said, news agency PTI reported.

Several incidents of clashes were reported from different parts of the state as the police had a harrowing time controlling the situation. State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha declined to comment on the incident, stating that he is yet to receive a report.The violence triggered a political slugfest between the opposition – CPI (M), Congress and BJP -- and the ruling TMC, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the opposition of trying to malign the state by orchestrating the violence.

State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha declined to comment on the incident, stating that he is yet to receive a report.

The violence triggered a political slugfest between the opposition – CPI (M), Congress and BJP -- and the ruling TMC, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the opposition of trying to malign the state by orchestrating the violence.

She denied any involvement of her party workers in the incidents of violence, stating that the TMC has instructed its members to allow all candidates to file their nominations. "In around 74,000 booths, some incidents have occurred in only two or three. Our party workers are not involved in those incidents," Banerjee said.

Pointing out that violence during panchayat polls is not new, citing a similar situation in 2003 when 36 people were killed during the Left regime, she said, "Rural polls are so localised that even three or four members from a same family are contesting elections." "Opposition parties are trying to create disturbances by orchestrating violence while filing nominations. They are doing it to tarnish the state's image. If they (the opposition) think they will unleash one-sided violence, then people will give a befitting reply," she said.

Banerjee also referred to the 2013 panchayat polls in the state, when it was held under the supervision of central forces, but couldn't help stop the bloodshed as "49 people were killed." Speaking of the ongoing violence in Bhangore, Banerjee blamed the Indian Secular Front (ISF) for it without naming the party.

"For the last two days, a political party which uses religion to polarise people has unleashed a reign of terror in Bhangore, assaulting our party workers and ransacking several vehicles. There has been some retaliation from our end, too, yesterday," she said.

The Bharatiya Janta party (BJP) also sharply retaliated and attacked the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government for the violence in the state. The party blamed TMC for the incidents of violence in Bengal adding that democracy was vanishing in the state. BJP claimed that its party workers were fatally attacked. Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sudhashu Trivedi said that the behaviour of the West Bengal government and police is forming a 'very dark chapter in India's democratic and electoral history'. "The kind of scenes that are being seen in the Panchayat Elections of West Bengal are extremely painful. It is violence all around. Even more disappointing is the insensitivity of the government there," he added.