Tamluk/ Chakulia/ Malda: Protests were held in different parts of West Bengal Sunday against the violence that rocked the panchayat elections and over allegations of irregularities.
The toll in the violence rose to 15 after a person was found dead in South 24 Parganas, and two others succumbed to their injuries, officials said.
BJP supporters staged a demonstration outside the State Election Commission office in Kolkata. Security was beefed up in the area as the protestors shouted slogans against the SEC over the alleged “inability” of the poll panel to conduct the elections peacefully.
In Purba Medinipur district, BJP workers blocked the Haldia-Mecheda state highway at Nandakumar alleging that ballot boxes were being tampered with at the counting centre at Srikrishnapur High School.
“We received information around 3 am that the ballot boxes were being changed. We are demanding repolling at all the booths in the area under the protection of central forces, besides counting of votes at the booths itself,” said Tamas Dinda, a leader of the BJP’s youth wing in Tamluk.
As the situation escalated, police baton-charged the protesters to bring the situation under control, officer-in-charge of Nandakumar police station Manoj Kumar Jha told PTI.
Congress workers blocked the National Highway 12 in Rathbari area in Malda, protesting against the violence during polling Saturday.
“We have hit the streets in protest against Saturday’s violence. We will also go to the court against it,” Congress MP Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury said.
In the district’s Harishchandrapur area, a police vehicle was vandalised with stones being hurled at it Saturday night. Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Bipul Banerjee was returning home in the vehicle when the incident happened, officials said.
He was injured in the attack, and undergoing treatment at the Malda Medical College and Hospital, they said.
It is suspected that miscreants from Bihar, just across the inter-state border, are behind the incident, they said, adding that an investigation was underway.
In Uttar Dinajpur, two cars were set on fire, and several vehicles, including a state-run bus, were vandalised as the protests turned violent in the Chakulia police station area.
The incident happened on the Rampur-Chakulia Road and National Highway 31 in the morning.
The demonstrators said they were unable to vote during the polls due to intimidation, and repeated calls to the administration went in vain.
Congress workers held similar protests in Murshidabad district’s Beldanga, alleging that supporters of the ruling TMC indulged in intimidation of voters and false voting with impunity during the polls.
Violence was also reported from the district’s Samserganj area where two groups clashed with crude bombs.
At Amdanga in North 24 Parganas, clashes boke out between ISF and TMC supporters. Indiscriminate crude bombs were hurled during the clashes, which happened in Sashipore in Chandigarh panchayat area.
In South 24 Parganas district, three police personnel were injured while trying to control a clash between TMC and Congress supporters. The incident happened in Nainan in Magrahat police station area, police said.
Those injured were Sub-inspector Arif Mohammed and constables Laltu and Prasenjit, they said.
As the condition of one of the constables was serious, he was admitted to the Diamond Harbour Hospital, they added.
Clashes were also reported from the district’s Kulpi area as supporters of an Independent candidate and TMC clashed in Udairampur village. Later when police reached the area, women protested with sticks.
PTI
