Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to order the presence of central armed police forces in West Bengal till the Model Code of Conduct is in place. Expressing concern, she said that the ruling TMC may target a section of voters after polling is over.
बंगाल की मुख्यमंत्री जो पहले से इंच-इंच बदला लेने की बात करती हैं, हमें डर है कि पोलिंग खत्म होने के बाद वहां टीएमसी द्वारा नरसंहार शुरु न हो जाए, इसलिए हमारी मांग है कि आदर्श आचार संहिता लागू रहने तक केंद्रीय सुरक्षा बल वहां रहें: श्रीमती @nsitharaman #JeetegaToModiHi
— BJP (@BJP4India) May 19, 2019
Citing reports, the Union Minister told media that six out of nine constituencies in West Bengal that went to polls today were marred with severe violence. She alleged that TMC goons attacked BJP candidates and also accused them of forcefully stopping voters opposing TMC from exercising their franchise in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
“The EC should take cognizance of it. Since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been openly talking about revenge, TMC workers have been beating up people and we are afraid that they will start targeting voters after the polls are over. The central armed police forces should be there till the end of the Model Code of Conduct,” she said.
The nominated Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta who joined Sitharaman also shared a similar opinion. “In West Bengal, the violence unleashed by the TMC as part of its ‘badla’ strategy won’t end. Central forces must remain in the state as long as the Model Code is in operation till end-May,” he said.
West Bengal has been witnessing rampant violence since the beginning of the Lok Sabha elections. TMC goons under Mamata Banerjee’s protection have carried out their depraved activities with impunity. It is believed that TMC goons are protected and sheltered by TMC leadership, which further emboldens them to execute their nefarious activities.
Taking the rampant violence into consideration the ECI as a preventive measure had deployed 100% cover by central forces, but this too could not hold back the TMC goons from executing their savagery in Bengal.
Furthermore, keeping in view the continuous large scale violence in Bengal, the EC had in an unprecedented step cut short the election campaign in West Bengal. It had cited threats by TMC leaders the reason for the same.
Meanwhile, according to the EC, the Model Code of Conduct would remain in place till May 27. The counting of votes is due on May 23.
