There was no let-up in violence in the run-up to panchayat elections notwithstanding Calcutta High Court’s interim order that every one who wanted to contest should be allowed to file nomination.
Main Opposition CPI(M) was given to taste its own bitter medicine — that it applied on its opponents when it was in power — by the Trinamool workers through out the districts with complaints of attack, loot and arson coming from all directions underscoring once again the justification behind State Election Commission’s frantic call for polling in the presence of central forces.
This even as State Panchayat Minister Subroto Mukherjee doubted the acceptability the candidates who needed police protection to file nominations. The rampaging Trinamool cadres seemed to make no distinction among the CPI(M), Congress, BJP, Independents or even the rebel party men who went to file their nominations in the SDO offices, sources said.
The candidates were beaten up and hospitalised at Rampurhat, Siuri, Mangalkot, Goghat, Arambagh, Midnapore, Vishnupur, sources said.
“They are not allowing our men to file nominations, not even at the SDO office,” said senior Congress leader, Manas Bhunia. CPI(M) State secretary Biman Bose said the “left candidates are being beaten, their houses ransacked and torched” reminding why “we had demanded Central forces to conduct the polls.”
Curiously the ferocity of attacks increased after senior Trinamool leader and president of party’s Birbhum district Anubrata Mondal directed the TMC workers in a party rally not to allow the CPI(M) and Congress to file nominations.
“The Congress and the CPI(M) are our enemies and you should not allow them to file nominations. If there is a problem call me I will come and stop them from filing nomination” he said in presence of State Minister Nure Alam Chowdhury, Chandranath Sinha and MP Shatabdi Roy.
Though the party later on distanced itself from his statement saying it was his personal opinion the opposition said the attacks were intensified from Tuesday particularly in Birbhum district.
Elsewhere in a post-poll violence in Howrah that went to lok Sabha by-elections on Sunday an old woman’s finger was slit by alleged Trinamool goons for going out to cast her vote at Nasirganj, police said.
Meanwhile the CPI(M) on Monday filed a case in Calcutta High Court seeking protection for its candidates filing nomination. The Court in an interim order said that the Government should ensure that everyone who wanted to file nomination had to be allowed to do so.
later the Panchayat Minister pooh-pooed the Opposition saying “If the candidates have to take police protection to file nomination then they have no right to contest polls.”
Earlier the BJP has decided to contest all the seats in Bengal. Central leader Prakash Javdekar said in Siliguri on Sunday. “The BJP has decided to field its candidates in all the seats in Bengal as the people are fed up with the Trinamool Congress,” he said.