PM calls Bengal gov after post-poll clashes escalate

■ Violence toll rises to 14; 9 are BJP workers, 4 from TMC

As the death toll in postpoll violence in West Bengal rose to 14 on Tuesday from six a day before, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and expressed “serious anguish and concern” over the “worrisome” law and order situation in the state. The 14 killed include nine BJP cadres in West Bengal, and four from TMC.

Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, which retained power in the state for the third time, has come under severe criticism from the BJP, with Left and the Congress leaders also condemning the postpoll violence against their cadre.

Hours after the PM’s conversation with the governor, BJP chief J.P. Nadda reached West Bengal on a two-day-visit and met the victims’ families.

Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports on alleged post-poll violence, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent a factfinding team while noting that it considers the incidents “as a fit case of alleged violation of Right to Life of innocent citizens.” The National Commission for Women too constituted a fact-finding team to investigate alleged violence against women in various parts of the state. 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 Haradhan 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 Bag — 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 Bharatiya Janata Party.

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, “Prime Minister 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 horrendous state of affairs. Horrified people are fleeing to save themselves. Flooded with SOS appeals. Harmads are on a killing and destruction spree.