On a day her own party men were seen unleashing violence across Bengalover filing of nominations for the upcoming panchayat elections Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed to people of other States to maintain peace in the wake of Dalit unrest that saw severalpersons dead and injured in MP, Rajasthan, Punjab etc.
Banerjee backed the “Dalits’ cause” but urged all the stakeholders tomaintain peace. Expressing “shock and pain” at the loss of lives shesaid in a tweet “we are shocked and pained that some of my Dalitbrothers and sisters have been killed and injured. We support theircause. I appeal for peace.”
Though unrest was reported from several parts of north India followinga Bharat Bandh call given by several Dalits organisations violenceevaded Bengal which had already been simmering on different politicaland religious issues for some time.
Banerjee’s tweet for peace and normalcy came at a time when her ownTrinamool Congress-led administration presided over large-scaleviolence across the State over filing of nomination forms for the upcoming panchayat elections.
Armed Trinamool cadres attacked and bloodied left, BJP and Congresscandidates who were stopped from filing their nominations at variousplaces in Birbhum, East Midnapore, Howrah etc.