On Saturday, the 4th phase of the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha polls were marred with unprecedented violence. As the voting commenced in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Hooghly, Howrah, and South 24 Parganas, reports about incidents of political clash began to emerge.
BJP worker’s body found hanging in Uluberia
On Saturday morning, the body of a BJP worker named Nanda Nashkar was found hanging at his residence in Sham Shandar Chowk in Uluberia Purba district. He was an active party worker and had visited the part office yesterday night. The BJP has informed that the deceased was earlier attacked and given death threats by TMC goons. The party has blamed the TMC for his unnatural death.
TMC goons gun down 18-year-old BJP supporter
An 18-year-old BJP supporter named Ananda Burman was gunned down by Trinamool Congress workers when he went to cast his vote at the polling station in Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar. While speaking about the matter, his cousin brother informed ABP News that the polling booth was ambushed by a large mob of TMC workers. According to him, they had guns and bombs at their disposal.
They began open firing at the booth in a bid to intimidate the voters. One of the bullets struck the 18-year-old Ananda Burman, who was a first-time voter. He died on the spot. On being taken to the hospital, he was declared dead on arrival. BJP Mondol President informed that the accused are yet to be identified. The police have conducted its preliminary investigation. At the same time, the Election Commission has been notified about the incident.
BJP leader Locket Chatterjee attacked, her car vandalised
On Saturday morning, an unruly mob attacked the vehicle of BJP leader Locket Chatterjee at polling booth No.66 in Hooghly district of West Bengal. In a video shared by media agency ANI, the mob was seen attacking the black sedan car of Chatterjee. With no regards to social distancing protocols, the goons ambushed her car while the security personnel tried to stop the incoming mob. They had also vandalised cars belonging to various media houses.
West Bengal: Media vehicles covering West Bengal Assembly elections attacked in Hooghly pic.twitter.com/thukqWWJL7
— ANI (@ANI) April 10, 2021
While speaking to the Election Commission over phone, Locket Chatterjee said, “They have broken my car… I am at booth No 66. They grabbed my jacket and attacked my car… I’ve also been hurt by pieces of glass. Then they media persons to get out of their cars and beat them. A lot of our workers are still there… Please send CRPF there immediately… some media persons are also still stuck.”
Mob attacks CISF in Sitalkuchi after Mamata Banerjee urged ‘gherao’
A mob attacked the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) soldiers during the fourth phase of elections in West Bengal after TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee asked her followers to gherao the central forces. Four TMC workers were killed after the CISF fired on the violent mob. As per reports, the incident took place at the Jorpatki area of the Mathabhanga block in the Sitalkuchi Legislative Assembly of Cooch Behar district.
Cooch Behar SP defended the CISF action against the lumpen elements, saying that the action was an act of ‘self-defense’. He said that a mob of 300-350 men had attacked the CISF team and tried to snatch their arms that forced the team to open fire on the miscreants. The deceased have been identified as Monirujjaman (28), Hamidul Miyan (30), Nur Alma Miyan (21) and Samiul Haque (20).
As per multiple reports, four people died after central forces open-fired in a polling booth in self-defence, while at another place one person died after miscreants opened fire. Sitalkuchi was on the boil since early morning. According to reports, bombs were hurled outside the booth. Some groups had also opened fire while the police managed to recover bombs from the area, India Today reported.
Child snatched away from mother amidst poll violence
On Saturday (April 10), a woman lost her toddler after a frenzied mob ambushed the polling booth in Jorpatki area in Sitalkuchi Vidhan Sabha constituency of West Bengal, reported TV9 Bangla. The incident took place during the 4th phase of State legislative elections in the State. TMC, however, calls it drama.
As per reports, the woman had entered the polling booth to cast her vote. Soon, a violent mob ambushed the polling booth leading to bombing, and gunfire. The police officials were highly outnumbered by the incoming mob. “When I was about to press the button, a fight broke out. There was bloodshed everywhere. I could not come out of the polling booth with my child,” the victim said. She recounted how miscreants had pulled her by the hair and snatched her child away.
“Where will I find my child now?” she asked. The woman, in tears, informed, “I don’t want any government. Here, several Muslim women had come with Dao (machete) to slice people. They threatened to kill my child if I don’t hand it over to them.” Besides the woman’s child, one of her relatives is also missing. She has appealed to the authorities to return her child and her relative.
