Siliguri, June 25: Leaders of the Darjeeling district Trinamul Congress today alleged that the CPM was using bike squads to spread terror before the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP) polls scheduled for Sunday.
At a news conference in the party office, Gautam Deb, the district president of the party, said since yesterday, such squads, comprising CPM cadres, had been roaming the rural areas of the Siliguri subdivision. “With red bandanas on the head and party flags in the hand and fixed to the two-wheelers, they are intimidating voters and even threatening women.”
“Yesterday, one such squad reached one of our meeting venues at Ashoknagar in Bagdogra. They abused our leaders and threatened the local people with dire consequences for expressing solidarity with Trinamul. The squad includes sons of two CPM candidates contesting the elections in the area. We have filed specific complaints against five persons at the Bagdogra police,” he added.
Another squad also visited Kawakhali in Matigara block, reportedly threatening Trinamul supporters. “We had to rush there at midnight to bring back the confidence of the voters.”
CPM leaders, however, have brushed aside the allegations. “These are cooked up stories of the Trinamul leaders who know that their performance would be dismal in the SMP polls,” said Jibesh Sarkar, a state committee member of the party.