Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 28: The Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday sharpened the BJP’s campaign pitch for the West Bengal Assembly polls by publishing a ‘charge sheet’ against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government even as the state and the central police forces maintained strict vigil of the trouble-torn areas in Murshidabad district where prohibitory orders remained in force for the second consecutive day.
Despite improvement in the situation prohibitory orders were re-imposed in Raghunathganj and Jangipur localities in Murshidabad which witnessed clashes during a Ram Navami procession earlier this week. The police said 30 people have been arrested in connection with the group clashes but did not disclose the identities of the arrested.
The police and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have also maintained heavy presence in affected areas and have kept patrolling in certain areas, including Jangipur Hospital and nearby alleys. However, baring essential services, shops have remained shut, but vehicular movement have remained normal.
“The sub-divisional hospital is located in the area, and we are ensuring that people do not face any inconvenience. Both our officials and paramilitary personnel are present in full strength,” the police said.
The clashes had erupted on Friday near Mackenzie Park in Raghunathganj over loud music being played near a place of worship during a Ram Navami procession. A group had raised objections over it, which led to an altercation. It turned violent, leading to stone-pelting between the two groups which caused injuries to several people, while many shops were torched.
The incident forced the police and central forces to intervene and bring the situation under control. Since then, heavy deployment of forces has continued in affected areas, with police regularly urging people not to pay heed to rumours, and help in maintaining law and order.
Blaming the BJP for the violence, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday that the administration had failed to take any action. She asserted that festivals of all religions, castes and tribes are celebrated with equal fervour.
“I am the elected chief minister, but they have taken away all powers,” the West Bengal chief minister said, adding that appropriate action would be taken against those responsible for the violence once the TMC returned to power in the assembly elections.
Launching the BJP’s poll campaign, Mr Amit Shah held that the West Bengal elections was not just a battle for the state but was important even from the point of the country’s security. Launching a broadside at the ruling TMC in Kolkata, Mr Shah alleged that during its 15-year rule, the state had become the country’s “principal corridor for infiltration, appeasement politics and border insecurity.” “The Bengal election is important not only for the state but for the entire country. The security of the country is, in a way, linked to the Bengal election,” Mr Shah claimed.
Responding to Mr Shah’s charges, Ms Banerjee commented that the BJP would lose power even at the Centre in its attempt to destroy West Bengal. Addressing a poll rally in Raniganj, she announced that after winning the West Bengal Assembly elections for the fourth consecutive time, she would bring all political parties along to “capture” Delhi. “If the BJP comes to power in the State, they will use bulldozers and throw everyone out,” Ms Banerjee claimed.
Accusing the Election Commission of working at the behest of the saffron party to delete voters’ names in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Ms Banerjee said, “There must be a Lakshman Rekha, but the BJP is crossing all limits.” “SIR will be your death knell,” she warned the BJP. Referring to clashes during the Ram Navami procession in Murshidabad’s Raghunathganj, she claimed that the administration took no action.
Meanwhile, a senior election official admitted that “operationalisation of tribunals to hear appeals from voters whose names were missing from the electoral rolls during the SIR exercise in West Bengal” was yet to be finalised. The ECI has published the second supplementary list on Friday night but the poll panel has not provided the details on the total number of deletion or inclusion in the second list.
“The Supreme Court has directed that those whose names are deleted will have the option to approach tribunals. However, no final decision has been taken yet on when and where these tribunals will start functioning,” Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said.
He said the State government has proposed certain locations for setting up the tribunals, while the Calcutta High Court has suggested the Judicial Academy at New Town as a possible venue. “The West Bengal government has identified spaces in every district for the tribunals. Now, the High Court will make a decision,” Mr Agarwal said.
Meanwhile, the BJP Kerala general secretary S. Suresh alleged that Election Commission officials, including the State CEO, were colluding with the government and the ruling CPI(M) to “undermine” free and fair polls in the State. Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Suresh referred to the recent row in which a BJP seal was found on a document issued by the Election Commission to political parties, leading to the suspension of an official. Mr Suresh identified the suspended officer as Jaisal B. Aziz, alleging that he is associated with an NGO union in the State Secretariat.
He claimed that the officer, who had recently joined service, was deputed to the Election Commission owing to his alleged links with organisations such as the DYFI and SFI.
