West Bengal: Death toll in poll-related violence mounts to 52

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee slammed the BJP over the incidents of violence in the state saying that their goons are threatening women and children

At least three fresh deaths were reported from across West Bengal on Friday even as the counting of votes for the three-tier panchayat elections continued, taking the total death toll to 52 in poll-related violence since panchayat elections were declared last month.

At least 18 people were killed on the day of polling (File Photo)

While a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker from South 24 Parganas, who was injured in a clash earlier, sustained at a hospital on Friday, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker from Murshidabad, who also suffered injuries in a crude bomb explosion, succumbed to his injuries in a Kolkata hospital. On Thursday, a woman was killed in South 24 Parganas.

The incidents have led to war of words between the ruling-TMC and its main opposition BJP.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee slammed the BJP over the incidents of violence in the state saying that their goons are threatening women and children.

“Women are being threatened with rape and children thrown out of their homes. The BJP goons can’t be arrested as they have been given protection by the Calcutta high court. Every death is heart-wrenching. TMC has lost 30 workers,” said Banerjee, adding that the BJP’s vote percentage has dropped from 38% to 22%.

Countering Banerjee’s claims, Union home minister Amit Shah took to Twitter to condemn the incidents of violence across the state.

“Even bloodcurdling violence in West Bengal could not stop the BJP from putting up a stellar performance in the panchayat elections. The BJP nearly doubled its seat tally from the previous election, indicating a significant rise in the trust placed by the people,” Union home minister Amit Shah wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Banerjee on Thursday visited SSKM hospital in Kolkata where at least 14 TMC workers are admitted. A TMC team visited Nandigram in East Midnapore where party workers have allegedly come under attack from the BJP.

Whereas, a four-member BJP team led by former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday had visited some violence-hit areas at Cooch Behar in North Bengal.

“Is this a sign of democracy? So many people have been killed and rendered homeless in post-poll violence. The misrule of TMC has surpassed the limits of all forms of misrule and tyranny that was once identified with the erstwhile Left Front regime in the state,” Prasad told reporters.

The Calcutta high court has already ordered that central forces should be retained in the state for at least 10 days after the poll results are announced to prevent post-poll clashes. More than 800 companies of central forces have been deployed in the state.

Violence broke out across West Bengal since the state election commission on June 8 announced panchayat elections. The voting day was marred with 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.