Civic polls: Violence in Metiaburz, Belgharia

In another incident, senior CPM leader Nandadulal Basu, CITU leader Subhas Mukherjee and former MLA Manas Mukherjee — were attacked allegedly by Trinamool workers in Belgharia in wee hours of Tuesday. Following the incident, four CPM workers have been arrested. They include a Left councillor of the outgoing Kamarhatty municipality board.

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Two other persons were being interrogated in connection with the clash, police said.

“We have lodged a complaint against local TMC leaders. They hurled bombs at my campaign rally. The incident took place near Harimohan Ghosh College where in 2012, a police officer was killed during students’ election,” Ali told mediapersons.

“The incident proves the kind of terror the TMC is trying to unleash. We feel that free and fair polls are not possible under the Trinamool government,” Congress leader Pradip Ghosh said.

Nandadulal Bose too blamed the Trinamool and the police for the Belgharia incident. “We have seen violence before but this is unprecedented. We were attacked in front of policemen who stood as mute spectators,” he said. In protest against the attack, CPM has called a 12-hour bandh at Kamarhati in North-24 Paraganas on Wednesday. Civic polls in Kamarhatty is scheduled for April 25.

However, Trinamool secretary general and state minister Partha Chatterjee put the blame on the CPM. “We have been noticing that CPM leaders are trying cause disturbance in the city. Since Surya Kanta Mishra was made the CPM state secretary, the party is trying to create unrest in the city in several ways. In the last one week, we have seen SFI and DYFI creating disturbances by blocking roads and taking out rallies in the city,” he said.

“The state government will not be a mute spectator and will take strict action to minimize such kind of disturbances,” he added.

Claiming that “some people were trying to get votes only with the help of a few media houses”, Chatterjee said: “We will not tolerate any attempts at creating unrest in the state. The administration will take required action. Everyone has a right to protest. But creating violence and lawlessness in the name of protests is not right.”

State Urban Development Minister and Trinamool leader Firhad Hakim said, “Opposition parties are trying to foment trouble as they do not enjoy the support of the masses.”

When contacted, State Election Commissioner Susanta Ranjan Upadhyaya said that so far, the poll panel has received 76 complaints of election-related violence from districts and 39 from KMC areas. Sources said a list of the incidents were being compiled and will be presented in a meeting to be held with the home secretary, DG and IG (Law and order) in a couple of days.

On the attack on Mumtaz Ali, Congress candidate from ward 133 under KMC, Upadhyaya said he has asked the joint commissioner (Crime) to look into the matter.