Post-poll violence in Bengal, PM calls Guv

KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to governor Jagdeep Dhankhar about the “alarmingly worrisome” law and order situation in West Bengal as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) blamed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for “unprecedented” post-election violence in the state.

The TMC swept back to power in the state on Sunday with 213 seats in the 294-member House.

The BJP managed to get 77 seats.

In a tweet, Dhankar said, “PM [Prime Minister] called and expressed his serious anguish and concern at alarmingly worrisome law & 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.”

While Dhankhar urged TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who is scheduled to take oath as the state’s chief minister for a third term on May 5, to restore order, the incumbent chief minister held a meeting with the chief secretary, home secretary, director general of police and Kolkata Police commissioner, at her residence.

Though the state government is yet to confirm how many people died in the post-poll violence, the BJP’s state president, Dilip Ghosh, had claimed on Monday that at least nine persons from various political parties were killed since Sunday, including five from the BJP. On Tuesday TMC leader Firhad Hakim

alleged that at least three party workers have died since Sunday.

The TMC said it was a stunt by the Prime Minister and the situation was being exaggerated. TMC MP Derek O’Brien questioned Modi on Covid-19 supplies. “PM makes a call to West Bengal governor on ‘political violence’. (Exaggerated 214%). Stop the stunts, Mr Prime Minister. Work the phones on #COVID19India or this,” O’Brien tweeted.

BJP president JP Nadda, who flew to West Bengal and is expected to camp for two days in the state, compared the incidents to the violence unleashed after India’s partition in 1947. “I had heard of such violence when the country was partitioned. I have never seen such intolerance after any elections after Independence,” Nadda said, after landing at the Kolkata airport.

The BJP’s state unit on Tuesday compiled a list of at least 237 incidents of post-poll violence since Sunday in which BJP workers and supporters were allegedly attacked, their houses and properties damaged and women raped.

“TMC is not associated with such violence. Our leader Mamata Banerjee has already urged for peace and our main concern is to tackle the Covd-19 crisis. While on one hand BJP is spreading lies using fake pictures, infighting has started within the party between the old timers and newcomers. The violence could be a result of that,” said Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson.

While the BJP Tuesday released pictures of at least two party workers who were allegedly killed by TMC members, a picture of a woman with her face covered was also shared alleging she was gang-raped at Nanur in Birbhum.

West Bengal Police, however, rubbished the charges. In a tweet, the police said allegations of two women being gang-raped at Nanur were fake.

Social media was flooded with claims and counter claims. While some people uploaded pictures of violence, another section countered that fake pictures of riots that took place in other states were being used.

The CM too had on Monday accused the BJP of circulating old pictures of rioting outside the state to spread panic.

In New Delhi, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said the situation in West Bengal has never been witnessed in India’s electoral history. On whether the party is demanding the President’s Rule, Patra said, “There is a democratic process, and there is a process to end violence. The governor and [Union] MHA [ministry of home affairs] have sought a report. Whatever needs to be done after assessing the reports will be announced by the MHA.”

In the face of alleged violence in Bengal, BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh in a tweet issued a veiled threat to the TMC saying that their MPs, MLAs, and the chief minister would have come to Delhi. “Take this as a warning,” he said.

“The BJP has lost by a huge margin. The BJP leaders are migratory. Let their leaders be confined to social media. They would like to see us when we go to Delhi? By 2024, the BJP won’t remain in power,” said Ghosh.