POST-POLL CLASH: BJP COMPARES TMC WITH NAZIS

The BJP claimed that the violence is “state-sponsored” and compared the TMC with “Nazis”. Among Tuesday’s victims, three — Mintu Barman of Shitalkuchi and Haradhann Roy and Chandan Roy of Dinhata — were from the BJP which lost six cadres on Monday. The 14 deceased also include five from Burdwan East. Of them, four were from the ruling TMC. While two of them — Shahjahan Shah and Bibhas Bagg — were killed Nabagram in Jamalpur, another, Ganesh Mullick, was beaten to death at Samaspur in Raina with an aged TMC panchayat member Srinibas Ghosh at Ketugram in three separate attacks by the BJP.

At Nabagram in Jamalpur, a female CPI(M) worker, Kakali Khetrapal, was hacked to death by a group of TMC workers during an attack on her home. Apart from the killings, several BJP offices and many party workers’ houses were vandalised across the state.

On Mr Modi’s worries, Mr Dhankhar tweeted, “PM called and expressed serious anguish and concern at the alarmingly worrisome law and order situation @MamataOfficial. I share grave concerns @PMOIndia given that violence vandalism, arson, loot and killings continue unabated. Concerned. Must act in overdrive to restore order.”

Lashing out at Mr Modi immediately, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien tweeted, “PM makes a call to West Bengal governor on ‘political violence’. (Exaggerated 214%). Stop the stunts, Mr Prime Minister. Work the phones on #COVID19India.”

In a series of tweets earlier Mr Dhankhar said, “Police @WBPolice @CPKolkata must end senseless political violence, vandalism, arson, killings and intimidation that shames democracy. Bengali diaspora world over has expressed concern over alarming lawlessness. Why post-poll violence only WB? Why this assault on democracy? Reports indicate the horrendous state of affairs. Horrified people are fleeing to save themselves. Flooded with SOS appeals. Harmads are on a killing and destruction spree. Such nosediving of constitutional values cannot be countenanced. Call upon @MamataOfficial to restore order.”

Mr Nadda claimed, “TMC knew that if BJP would have come to power in the state it would not be able to extort money and play its politics of appeasement. There is a list of names who attacked and killed our party workers. But no one was arrested. I assure you that crores of BJP workers stand by each affected here. Their sacrifice will not go in vain. We will fight till the end to give justice to them.”

On Wednesday, when TMC chief Mamata Banerjee will take her oath as the chief minister for the third consecutive time, the BJP would organise a nationwide demonstration against the killings of its workers.