For the fifth consecutive day, violence rocked parts of West Bengal during the filing of nomination papers for the July 8 panchayat elections despite the Calcutta High Court ordering the deployment of central forces in the state to ensure free and fair elections. Clashes between ISF (Indian Secular Front) and ruling TMC (Trinamool Congress) workers continued for the second day at Bhangor, 30 km from Kolkata in South 24 Parganas district, as they hurled crude bombs, bricks and glass bottles at each other near the nomination centre. Several people were reportedly injured. Scores of motorbikes, autorickshaws and cars were also damaged in the clash at Bijoygunge Bazar, the epicentre of violence in Bhangor. Outside the Bhangor nomination centre, the office of local BDO, several people were seen carrying thick wooden and bamboo sticks and moving in groups in violation of the prohibitory order that is in force in the 1-km radius of the centre since Monday. “We came here with bamboo (sticks) to protect ourselves. We are not safe after the ISF attack on us on Tuesday,” TMC leader Shajahan Mollah said. While the TMC workers gheraoed the nomination centre, ISF members blocked Basanti Highway, demanding safe passage for their candidates for filing nominations. Later in the day, lone ISF MLA Naushad Siddiqui reached Nabanna, the state secretariat in Howrah, to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, but didn't get to speak with her. “I had come here to meet Banerjee at the state secretariat and inform her about the situation in Bhangor where Opposition candidates were threatened and stopped from filing nominations. But since she was busy, I could not meet her,” Siddique told reporters. “Trinamool goons unleashed violence since Tuesday night to stop our candidates from filing nominations,” Siddique said. In the Canning area of South 24 Parganas district, two groups of people, allegedly belonging to rival TMC factions, pelted bombs and stones at each other, prompting police to lathicharge and fire teargas shells to bring the situation under control. The SDPO of Canning was injured in the attack as police detained around seven people for their alleged involvement in violence, an official said. There were reports of clashes between the opposition BJP and ruling TMC workers in Indas area of Bankura district outside a nomination centre. Supporters of both groups came to blows and pelted stones at each other, even as police tried to control the situation in the area, which is about 135 km from Kolkata. Police later detained at least three persons from Indas. Meanwhile, in Kolkata, BJP workers, led by Leader of Opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari and state party chief Sukanta Majumdar reached the office of the State Election Commission (SEC), demanding to speak with State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha. They claimed that many of their party candidates failed to file nomination papers. After they failed to meet Sinha, BJP workers started a dharna outside the SEC office. “Opposition candidates are not able to file nominations as the SEC has become a frontal organisation of the ruling TMC. There are several blocks where there is no proper security. If this situation continues, there is no need for polls as the TMC will win uncontested," Adhikari told reporters. “The Calcutta High Court has said in its order that if any candidate was not able to file their nomination papers, the Commission should make arrangements for it. If the Commission fails to make the required arrangements, our dharna will continue,” Adhikari told party workers at the party's sit-in protest. The TMC, on the other hand, alleged that the BJP was staging a drama to divert attention from its failure to field candidates in all the seats. Ever since the nomination process started on June 9, several incidents of violence have been reported from across West Bengal. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been in place since Monday near the premises of nomination centres. However, this has not put a stop to the violence. Approximately 5.67 crore voters will exercise their franchise to choose representatives for nearly 74,000 seats in the three-tier – zilla parishads, panchayat samiti and gram panchayats – panchayat elections. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the requisition and deployment of central forces for the rural poll but refused to consider the plea for extending the time for filing of nominations and left it to the discretion of the State Election Commission. With PTI
