Kolkata: Incidents of violence were seen during the final phase of the election in West Bengal. Sandeshkhali falling under Basirhat constituency had again hit the headlines as widespread violence was seen there during the polls.
After a verbal scuffle between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, the saffron camp cadres alleged that police had arrested their five cadres without any reason.
Later demanding release of those five cadres, the women agitated in front of police and tension erupted after police and villagers pelted stones at each other.
Police had also resorted to lathi charge and firing of tear gas to disperse the mob. The women alleged that the male police had hit the women very hard but didn’t give any clarification why they have arrested BJP cadres.
“Five persons were sitting in the BJP camp in Sandeshkhali and distributing voter slips but they have been arrested. I am demanding immediate release of the innocent BJP workers who were arrested. The police are acting like puppets of Mamata Banerjee,” said BJP candidate Rekha Patra.
The villagers also blocked National Highway by creating barricades with concrete slabs and also burnt tyres demanding release of BJP workers. Earlier this day a BJP workers sustained severe head injury. He went to vote, saying he will strengthen the hands of Narendra Modi.
“The incident happened while I was sitting in the camp. I organized a BJP camp and voting was going on peacefully. but Muslim miscreants vandalized our camp, broke a motorbike and I received head injury,” Chanchal Khatua, who after getting stitches went back to the booth to vote.
BJP demanded repolling in Diamond Harbor constituency and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari claimed that several Hindus were not allowed to vote. BJP candidate of Diamond Harbor alleged malpractices by the ruling party during the poll.
Local CPI (M) leader had caught a ‘fake’ voter in Diamon Harbor. A senior woman CPI-M worker’s nose was also seen bleeding. “Around 15-20 miscreants of Trinamool came and beat us. Our camp was vandalized. I was beaten severely. They hit us on my nose, which started bleeding and threatened to rape me," the elderly CPI-M worker said.
Indian Secular Front (ISF) supporters claimed that TMC said that ISF won’t be allowed to vote in Bhangor which falls under Jadavpur constituency. ISF booth agents alleged that TMC workers have even hit them and threatened them. Several crude bombs were also recovered from Bhangor and both TMC and ISF blamed each other for the violence.
In Jaynagar, voters were seen pleading in front of BJP candidate as they were not allowed to vote as they were BJP supporters. In Kultuli area, under Jaynagar constituency, angry voters were seen throwing EVM machines inside a nearby waterbody.
In Kolkata (Uttar) constituency BJP candidate Tapas Roy was also given ‘Go Back’ slogan by the TMC supporters. In Baranagar Assembly seat bypoll, after BJP candidate Sajal Ghosh also caught a ‘fake’ voters, sporadic incidents of violence were seen there till the polling time got over.
