BJP MLA ‘beaten up’ in hooghly: Clashes, attacks on police mar formation of panchayat boards

BJP legislator Susanta Ghosh alleged that he along with winning candidates was going to the venue of the panchayat board formation at Khanakul when TMC supporters attacked him and vandalised his car. His car driver was also beaten up, it was claimed. Tension prevailed in the area after the incident.

The TMC, however, denied the allegations of such an attack.

After the incident, the MLA along with his party workers gheraoed the local police station, demanding an immediate arrest of those behind the attack.

Also, clashes took place between supporters of the TMC and the BJP in the Khejuri area of Purba Medinipur district’s Contai subdivision, leaving eight police personnel injured. Local residents complained that sounds of gunshots were heard from the Kasba area since morning. A large police contingent was deployed in the area to bring the situation under control.

The BJP has won 16 seats and the TMC 12 from Kasba panchayat. It was alleged that the Trinamool’s winning candidates were not allowed to enter the panchayat. In Babupur panchayat of Malda district’s Gajol block, police personnel were attacked by the CPIM-Congress alliance supporters when they arrived at the venue of board formation. Several police personnel were injured in the violence. The alliance workers alleged that the TMC abducted one of their winning candidates two days ago and the police did not take any action.

Of the 12 seats in Babupur panchayat, the TMC won five seats, the CPIM-Congress alliance six and the BJP one.

In Furfura Sharif area of Hooghly district, Indian Secular Front’s Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddiqui got into a scuffle with police officials after his supporters clashed with TMC workers.

It was alleged that the ISF supporters hurled crude bombs and stones at the police. The area block development officer (BDO) said the panchayat board will not be formed in the midst of unrest. The TMC, however, formed the board later.

In Krishnapur gram panchayat of South 24 Parganas district’s Mandirbazar block, the BJP complained that despite their majority in the panchayat, the BDO issued a notice saying that the board is not being formed for now.

Soon after, the BJP workers started protesting in the area, raising slogans against the ruling Trinamool. BJP MLA Agnimitra Pal also joined them.

Leader of Opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari wrote on Twitter, “…Mamata Banerjee & her pet administration can never conform to democratic norms. Her autocratic approach to grabbing power by any means has undermined democracy on every possible occasion. After unleashing unabated state-sponsored violence for the last couple of months to grab power undemocratically in the panchayat elections, now they are creating hurdles in those places where the BJP won the majority. Even some BDOs are co-conspirators. They are defying rules to extend unfair advantage to the TMC…”

On the other hand, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, “In the panchayat elections, some local issues get highlighted. Unrest may have occurred in some places but the Opposition parties are trying to portray that as violence.”