TMC worker killed, Bengal panchayat poll violence toll at 6

Kolkata A day after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that the nomination filing process for the upcoming panchayat polls went off peacefully, a TMC worker was allegedly killed at Malda in north Bengal on Saturday, taking the death toll to at least six in the last eight days.

Police said that the dead has been identified as Mustafa Sheikh, 62. His wife was a former panchayat leader. The victim was rushed to hospital where he was declared dead. Police have detained one person.

“He was beaten to death. The accused are TMC rebels who joined the Congress recently after being denied party tickets to contest the panchayat polls. It is a political murder,” said Sabina Yeasmin, state minister.

“These are baseless allegations. What were the police doing? The police should do a proper investigation. We would never hide any accused,” Congress leader Soumya Aich Roy told the media.

The police, however, said that Sheikh was suffering from multiple ailments and his condition deteriorated after an argument with a villager. No major injury marks were found on his body, they said.

Meanwhile, a convoy of Union minister Nisith Pramanik was allegedly attacked with an arrow on Saturday by supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress in Cooch Behar district, a charge the ruling party dismissed.

“Arrows were shot at my car. Pramanik alleged that arrows were shot at his car. TMC workers hurled bombs at us at a stone’s throw from the police station. Police remained mute spectators. It’s a total lawlessness,” Pramanik told reporters in Cooch Behar.

The crucial panchayat polls are scheduled to be held on July 8. Thursday was the last day for filing nominations. On Saturday the nominations were scrutinised.

Political clashes had erupted at multiple locations resulting in the death of at least five persons since the elections were declared.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said, however has said that the nomination filing process was largely peaceful, barring incidents in just two booths.

“Show me one state, having so many panchayat booths, where nomination has bene so peaceful ever in the past. The Bhangore-incident was done by some goons. We have lost two men. TMC didn’t trigger the Bhangore violence,” Banerjee said while speaking at a political rally in South 24 Parganas on Friday.

On Saturday West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose went to Canning in South 24 Parganas where violence had erupted over filing of nominations earlier this week.

He had earlier visited Bhangore, near Kolkata, in South 24 Parganas where at least two persons were killed and dozens were injured in the last few days.

Sukanta Majumdar, state BJP president met Bose at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata over recent spate of violence during the nomination process.

On Saturday too crude bombs were recovered from many areas including South 24 Parganas and Birbhum.

Opposition parties alleged that candidates were being threatened to withdraw nominations.

The West Bengal government and the State Election Commission meanwhile have moved the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta high court order regarding deployment of central forces during panchayat polls in the state.

The Calcutta high court had earlier this week ordered deployment of central forces across the state in the run-up to the rural polls.

“The TMC doesn’t care about deployment of central forces. They have been deployed in previous panchayat, assembly and parliament polls held in the state. The people of West Bengal support TMC,” Kalyan Banerjee, TMC MP told media persons.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee chaired a meeting with top leaders of the party at her residence in Kalighat after reports started pouring in that a section of rebel TMC leaders have filed nominations as independent candidates after the party denied them tickets.

“There may be some grievances. We would urge party leaders, who have filed nominations as independent candidates, to withdraw their nominations and support the candidate which the party has fielded. Else the party would shut its doors and windows for him for ever,” said Kalyan Banerjee after the meeting.

The TMC, meanwhile, alleged that ISF had a secret pact with the BJP ahead of the 2021 assembly polls whole uploading screenshots of purported chats between ISF legislator Nawasad Siddique and BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya and a PA of Union minister before 2021 polls.

“The TMC is making every effort to divert the attention away from the polls. The people of West Bengal are aware. If it is proved that I have taken a single penny from the BJP I would accept any punishment the people give me,” Siddique told the press.

“WhatsApp chats are end-to-encrypted. How did the TMC get those? Are they using Pegasus? The TMC has just uploaded some chats. It could be of anyone. The TMC knows very well they have lost ground ahead of the polls and are hence now trying such tactics,” said Majumdar.