Violence in Bengal Panchayat elections : 18 dead

Vandalising and arson at polling booths

Ballot boxes stolen

Use of crude bombs

Incidents of firing too

Kolkata (Bengal) – On 8th July 2023, an election was held in Bengal for 64,874 Gram Panchayat seats in 22 Districts. There have been incidents of violence since the date of the polling was declared, and it continued even on the day of polling. The death toll has been reported as 18 in the last 24 hours of violence in this State and 14 individuals have already lost their lives earlier till 7th July 2023 since the elections were declared.

The election booth in Baravita Primary School at Sitai, Cooch Behar and the ballot papers were also burnt. At one election booth in the same District, a ballot box was stolen and thrown in a lake while at an election booth in the Dinhata area, water was filled in the ballot box. The voters set the ballot box on fire, accusing of fake voting at an election booth at Baranachina.

A few goons used crude bombs for attacking a polling booth in Falimari Panchayat of Cooch Behar District, leading to the death of Madhav Biswas, the polling agent of BJP candidate Maya Burman. Maya Burman said that TMC’s goons hurled a crude bomb at her polling agent and killed him. She was also attacked.

Two groups hurled crude bombs at each other in some places. There was a scuffle between Trinamool Congress and Congress workers in the Samserganj area in Murshidabad in the early morning of the day of voting.

There is a report on the killing of a worker of the Marxist Party in Purba Bardhman while a TMC worker was killed in Chakulia, North Dinajpur.

Marxist candidates stopped State Governor C V Anand Bose on his way to a polling booth in Basudevpur in North 24 Pargana District and narrated their problems. The Governor gave a patient hearing to them.

(Credit : Times Now)

Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee are looting Bengal ! – accuses Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari

Suvendu Adhikari, the opposition leader and BJP MLA of Bengal State Assembly has stated, “Bengal is burning in this election. TMC thugs have pushed Bengal into the fire. The Union Government should deploy Central Security Force in the State. CM Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee are looting Bengal. Bengal is the land of freedom fighters. We shall not let TMC goons destroy it. The State Election Commissioner, Rajiv Sinha is working like a TMC party worker.”

Where is Central Security Force ? – TMC

Editorial Viewpoint

The ruling TMC should first give an explanation for Bengal Police not doing anything to stop the violence.

In its tweet, the ruling TMC said, ‘TMC’s three workers were killed at Rejinagar, Tufanganj, and Khargram. There was a firing at Domkal in which two TMC party workers were injured. BJP, Marxists, and Congress are demanding deployment of the Central Security Force; so, where is it ?’

Impose Article 356 in the State ! – Anjani Putra Sena, Kolkata

Mr Surendra Kumar Verma

After the terrible TMC-sponsored violence, Mr Surendra Kumar Verma, the Founder-Secretary of ‘Anjani Putra Sena’ has demanded the dissolution of the State Government for the protection of democracy and imposition of Article 356, i.e., President’s Rule in the State. He was speaking with correspondent of the ‘Sanatan Prabhat’ newspaper.

Editorial Viewpoint

Please note that none of the political parties demands imposition of President’s Rule in Bengal. Now, the citizens should demand it.