“There is nothing like law and order in Bengal”: BJP MP Locket Chatterjee on poll violence

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India]: Reacting to the panchayat poll violence in West Bengal BJP MP Locket Chatterjee on Sunday slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and alleged that the state police were acting in connivance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said, “There were many incidents of violence during the panchayat elections. Women were attacked. The whole world has seen this. 55 people have been killed. There is nothing like law and order in West Bengal.” The BJP MP alleged that panchayat poll elections were peaceful in other states while violence occurred only in West Bengal.

The BJP MP said, “If you assess the panchayat poll elections in the state then you will see that in places like Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas, Basirhat, Cooch Behar there was violence against women and ruckus was created regarding ballet boxes by hooligans as they entered the counting rooms with armed weapons.”

The BJP MP compared the violence in West Bengal with the war between Russia and Ukraine. She alleged, “The police of West Bengal acted as party cadres of TMC.”

Earlier this month while speaking on the viral video of Manipur, purportedly showing two women being paraded in the nude, Chatterjee said, “We are also women. We also want our daughters to be saved… We are also India’s daughters. West Bengal is also part of this country. Yesterday Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on incidents of assault against women in Manipur. He not only spoke for the daughters in Manipur but for daughters across the country.”

“He said that the law and order in all states should be made strict to protect our daughters. Not just daughters of Manipur but daughters all over the country. So I urge you all to speak up for us also. Where will our daughters go for justice? There were incidents of violence against our daughters during the recent panchayat polls”, MP Chatterjee added during the press briefing.

The West Bengal panchayat polls held on July 8 in which the ruling TMC won by a landslide, was marred with widespread violence, looting of ballots papers and rigging. There were also reports of booth capturing, damaging of ballot boxes and assault of presiding officers from several districts such as Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Malda, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur and Nadia.