At a time when there are attempts to forge a ‘mahajyot’ grand alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, the Opposition parties in West Bengal are attempting a ‘mahaghot’ grand tangle, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.
“The three [Left parties, BJP and Congress] have come together. At Delhi, we are trying to forge a grand alliance against the BJP and even yesterday they abused me. They want to have a ‘mahaghot’ grand tangle. We will break apart the grand tangle in Bengal; in Delhi, the grand alliance will come up,” Ms. Banerjee said, addressing a public meeting at Cooch Behar.
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The Trinamool Congress chairperson started her party’s campaign for panchayat polls two days after participating in the meeting of Opposition parties at Patna, where leaders from Congress and Left parties were also present. She has often accused the “BJP, Left and Congress (Ram, Baam and Shyam)” of forming an unholy alliance against her party and the government in West Bengal.
Besides targeting the Opposition parties, Ms. Banerjee trained her guns at the Central forces and emphasised that law and order was a State subject.
“I will ask my people to not be afraid of their tactics and fearlessly participate in the elections. BSF (Border Security Force) should remember that they will not be able to do anything as law and order is a State subject. It falls under the purview of the State Government, and not that of the Centre,” she said.
Family members of people allegedly killed in a firing by the BSF (in the district bordering Bangladesh) were also present on the stage with the Chief Minister. “The grieving families are here, you will have to take their revenge by voting against their perpetrators so that they don’t ever come to power,” she said.
Ms. Banerjee also took a swipe at Cooch Behar MP and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nitish Pramanik, describing him as a ‘goon’. “The biggest goon (goonda) in Cooch Behar is the Union Minister of State (Home Affairs). Have we ever seen goondas become Ministers before? Anything is possible under the BJP Government,” she said.
The Chief Minister said that the “people panchayat” will be formed after the elections and urged the people to forgive if under any circumstances the people had to suffer in the past.
Reports filtered, says Governor
Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who was visiting north Bengal, said that he will visit places vulnerable from the point of view of panchayat elections. “Some atrocities, some violence has taken place. I will go to ground zero and assess the extent of violence,” he said.
Having visited violence-affected areas like Bhangar and Canning in south Bengal, he said that the reports received from the ground were filtered. “Reports, in my experience, are all filtered. I don’t say they are not objective but they are filtered,” he claimed. On Sunday, he met State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha.
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In another development, the Ministry of Home Affairs sought details about the deployment of 315 companies of forces before sending additional forces to the State. As per the Calcutta High Court order on June 21, the Commission has to deploy more forces than what was engaged in 2013 panchayat polls, when about 800 companies were deployed in the five-phase rural polls. The panchayat elections scheduled on July 8 are being held in a single phase. Elections are being held across 62,00 booths on 73,000 seats in the three-tier panchayats of the State.
Four sustain bullet injuries
Four supporters of Trinamool Congress sustained bullet injuries at Domkal in Murshidabad district. Clashes erupted between supporters of CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress in Domkal. The injured were admitted to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital.
In Nadia‘s Ranaghat, the family members of BJP MLA Mukut Mani Adhikari were beaten up allegedly by supporters of the ruling party. So far, 10 persons have died since the notification of panchayat polls was issued on June 8.
