Murshidabad (West Bengal) [India] : West Bengal Pradesh Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday slammed the ruling Trinamool Congress over deaths in separate incidents of violence that marred Panchayat polls across the state on Saturday.
While speaking to the media, the Congress leader questioned the role of TMC over its ‘failure’ to ensure smooth conduct of polling and asked “How many more people will be killed?” “A 62-year-old man was murdered here yesterday. How many more people will be killed? There was violence before the polls and also after it. We will agitate and also go to court against this murder,” Adhir Ranjan said.
He also met the family members of 62-year-old party worker Haji Liaquat Ali, who was allegedly killed in the violence. A total of 10 people were killed and several injured in violence reported across the state during the Panchayat poll.
The three-tier panchayat elections in 20 districts were marked by widespread violence, looting of ballots papers and rigging. There were 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.
Earlier on Saturday, he said that the TMC’s incoherence with the police administration has unleashed a reign of terror in an unprecedented way. “The ruling party’s incoherence with the police administrations…has unleashed a reign of terror in an unprecedented way, which has taken a toll on 26 people, and hundreds of people who are fatally injured have been admitted to the hospital already. The political and electoral environment in Bengal has been violent…It is a travesty of panchayat elections and virtually it is an example of electoral depredations…,” said Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary.