Prohibitory orders issued by the state election commission, banning any kind of large-scale gathering within the radius of a kilometre of offices where nominations for panchayat polls are being filed failed to prevent violent clashes and bloodshed on Monday, the third day of the process.
On Monday, Trinamul was accused of attacking Opposition party members at Minakhan in South 24-Parganas, Sonamkuhi in Bankura, Borsul in East Burdwan and several other places. However, the Opposition managed to file nominations at most places. The Telegraph lists a some skirmishes:
Minakhan, North 24-Parganas
Soma Das, a member of the CPM North 24-Parganas district committee, was assaulted by alleged Trinamul goons at Minakhan in South 24-Parganas on Monday. The assault inside a local CPM party office left Das with a serious head injury. The CPM leader had to be transferred to a hospital in Calcutta for treatment. Other party leaders including Sayandeep Mitra and Rana Roy also suffered serious injuries. Several bikes were ransacked and stolen. A tweet by CPM’s state unit claimed the party office was ransacked by Trinamul workers for hours.
“For six hours, our party office was gheraoed by Trinamul goons and we saw police chatting with them. When we asked the police to stop them from stealing our bikes, they said they couldn’t do anything,” Mitra said. Local leaders of the party alleged that Trinamul goons had circled the office since Monday morning.
Trinamul denied the charges. A local Trinamul leader claimed CPM workers huddled in the Minakhan party office provoked the clash.
Bhangar, South 24-Parganas
In Bhangar block II, four women ISF candidates and two others with them were locked inside the block office for over four hours. The police had to break open the lock of a rear door to escort the women out as Trinamul supporters were allegedly waiting outside the front gate. Asman Khatun, one of the four, said local Trinamul strongman Arabul Islam and his son Haqibul were physically present there and threatened to kill them for filing nominations against Trinamul. “Only one among us could file her nomination. The officials also misguided us. They threatened to arrest me alleging I’d recorded a video of the inside of the block office on my phone. I have not done any such thing,” Khatun said.
“Arabul, Haqibul, and others were threatening to kill us. The police had to get us out through a backdoor,” she added. Sources said that the ISF was planning to move court against this incident on Tuesday.
Abdul Maleque Molla, the ISF president of South 24-Parganas alleged that he was attacked by Trinamul goons when he was on his way to the Bhangar block I office to help his candidates file nominations. “I went to a petrol pump near the block office to refuel my car when I was attacked. They took away my bag with documents and money and beat me up,” Molla said. The candidates fled. “I filed a police complaint,” Molla said. The local Trinamul leadership denied both claims.
Kakdwip, South 24-Parganas
Sibani Das, a prospective Congress candidate at Kakdwip in South 24-Parganas, alleged a local Trinamul leader Manas Das snatched away her bag in which she had all the documents necessary to file her nomination. Das said she had spoken to local police and was told to consult the BDO on what to do next.
Local Trinamul supporters were accused of preventing a group of CPM supporters who were on their way to file nominations. Though CPM workers initially left the place, they later came back with a larger crowd and marched towards the block office. They were stopped by the police at the block office and told that so many people could not enter the premises together because of CrPC Section 144. Many of the CPM activists managed to enter the office and file nominations. Trinamul later accused the police of allowing the CPM candidates and workers to enter the block office, violating Section 144.
Nazat, North 24-Parganas
Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged in a tweet that a BJP party office at Nazat in Sandeshkhali II block was set aflame by the Trinamul goons late Sunday night.
“Almost 100 hooligans arrived on motorbikes & surrounded the area completely. Unfortunately, our Karyakartas who were outnumbered got beaten up. Some among them tried to contact the Police, but the Officer In Charge & the Duty Officer didn’t respond,” he tweeted. Later a BJP delegation led by state executive member Sisir Bajoria met the secretary of the state poll panel and complained about the incident.
Borshul, East Burdwan
At least four police personnel, including officer-in-charge of Shaktigarh police station Dipak Sarkar, were injured during a clash between CPM and Trinamul as the latter allegedly tried to stop rival candidates from filing nomination papers at Burdwan II block office in East Burdwan. Trinamul activists allegedly attacked around 50 CPM candidates and supporters headed to the block office. Initially, the vehicles with CPM nominees were stopped by a tractor put on the middle of a road to the local BDO office. Stones were pelted at vehicles with CPM candidates. A clash broke out as CPM workers got back at their Trinamul counterparts with sticks and brickbats. Amal Haldar, East Burdwan’s CPM veteran, said no one could file their nomination papers on Monday because of Trinamul’s violence. Police detained four persons. Trinamul accused CPM of attacking their party workers and damaging at least a dozen of their bikes.
Nanoor, Birbhum
Two cars with 18 CPM nominees to Birbhum’s Nanoor BDO office for filing nomination papers were ransacked after allegedly a group of armed Trinamul-backed goons suddenly attacked them.
Around 200 CPM workers from Bolpur reached the spot and escorted all the candidates to file nomination papers. CPM leaders alleged the Trinamul-backed goons were deployed at strategic points on the approach road to the BDO office to threaten their candidates.
