As sporadic protests and incidents of post-poll violence continued to plague West Bengal, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday spoke out over the issue and the incidents are “unpardonable”. Singh also said he has been an admirer of chief minister Mamata Banerjee but the current situation “is not good for our democracy”.
The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister's comments come as the State Election Commission announced on Sunday that repolling for the Bengal panchayat election will be held on Monday in 696 booths where voting for the rural elections has been declared void.
In Saturday’s violence-scarred panchayat polls, people had cast their votes in 61,636 booths for 2.06 lakh candidates who were in the fray for elections to 73,887 seats in the three-tier panchayat system in the state. The SEC, which held a meeting on Sunday evening, went through reports of vote-tampering and violence which affected polling in many places, and passed the order, an official said.
“What is happening in Panchayat Polls in Bengal is frightening. I have been an admirer of Mamta of her grit and determination but what is happening is unpardonable. We know you bravely faced similar situation in CPM rule but what is happening now is not good for our Democracy,” Singh tweeted.
{{/usCountry}}“What is happening in Panchayat Polls in Bengal is frightening. I have been an admirer of Mamta of her grit and determination but what is happening is unpardonable. We know you bravely faced similar situation in CPM rule but what is happening now is not good for our Democracy,” Singh tweeted.
{{/usCountry}}The ruling Trinamool Congress has alleged the involvement of the Congress, BJP and the Left in violence in several districts of the state.
Protests were held in different parts of West Bengal on Sunday against the violence that rocked the panchayat elections and over allegations of irregularities.
19 killed during Bengal panchayat poll
Sporadic violence continued in several parts of north and south Bengal on Sunday, all political parties alleged a day after at least 18 people were killed during three-tier panchayat elections in 20 districts. A TMC worker who was injured in a bomb explosion at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district on Saturday died on Sunday when he was being taken from a local hospital to Siliguri town, police said.
With this, the death toll in Saturday’s violence increased to 19, taking the number of deaths since June 9 to 38.
Among districts where repolling was announced, Murshidabad has the highest number of booths at 174, followed by Malda with 109. No repolling has been ordered in any booth in three districts of Jhargram, Kalimpong and Darjeeling.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury writes to BSF IG
West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday wrote to BSF inspector general (Eastern Command) SC Budakoti, asking him to deploy adequate forces to prevent the recurrence of such incidents during repolling in certain booths for the panchayat elections, on July 10.
Chowdhury said as many as 19 people were killed during polling for the panchayats, adding that the presence of the central security forces in and around the polling stations will ensure that voters cast their votes fearlessly.
Meanwhile, Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose on Sunday flew to New Delhi, where he is likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and submit a report on the violence that took place during the panchayat elections.