In Bhangor, supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) clashed on Monday, leaving one person with serious head injuries.
According to police, the clash took place between the political rivals over painting the walls with poll slogans at Jirangachha Bagan Aait village. “Four persons have been arrested. Anyone found involved in the incident will not be spared,” said a police officer.
While the ISF accused the TMC workers of “occupying” their portion of a wall, the TMC claimed that they were painting the wall with the permission of the house owner. “It was a clean white wall and we had written our slogans on it. The TMC workers came and erased it and started painting afresh with their campaign slogan,” said a local ISF worker.
A TMC worker, on the other hand, said that they had taken permission from the house owner to paint the walls of the houses. “Our boys were writing on the wall when some ISF members came and started beating them suddenly,” the TMC worker said.
Clashes also took place on Monday during Holi in Gosaba in South 24 Parganas where the TMC and BJP workers were allegedly involved. The TMC accused the BJP of assaulting their party worker Bubai Mandal with a gun. Based on a complaint lodged by the TMC, police arrested two BJP workers. Meanwhile, BJP claimed that TMC workers beat their supporters when they were putting up flags.
The Election Commission (EC), meanwhile, has sought daily reports of the activities of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) already deployed in the state. The daily report has to be submitted before 10 am, sources said, adding it is being done to ensure maximum utilisation of the forces deployed.
EC sources said the daily reports will help ensure better law and order as the movement of the central forces at the right place and at the right time could be ensured.
The EC had started deploying Central forces in West Bengal even before election dates were announced on March 16.
Welcoming the EC’s decision, BJP leader Rahul Sinha said: “The Central forces are not taken to sensitive areas by the state police. As a result, they end up patrolling in peaceful areas. This is a welcome step ahead of the elections.”
CPI(M) leader Md Salim said, “Everyday DGPs and SPs are being transferred in West Bengal because they don’t act as per law and are doing what Didi (Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) is saying.”
Elections to the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal will be held in seven phases beginning April 19.
Lok Sabha constituencies falling in South 14 Parganas district would vote in the last phase.