On Tuesday, violence broke out in the Asansol district of West Bengal as BJP’s convoy was attacked in presence of the West Bengal Police. Agnimitra Paul, who is a BJP candidate from the Asansol parliamentary constituency alleged that TMC workers attacked the BJP workers and hurled stones at the BJP convoy. She also said the TMC workers attacked in presence of the West Bengal Police, who didn’t take any steps to pacify the situation.
“TMC people thrashed our security with bamboo sticks. No matter how hard Mamata Banerjee tries, BJP is winning here”, said Agnimitra Paul on April 12 amid the Lok Sabha by-poll to Asansol.
West Bengal | TMC people thrashed our security with bamboo sticks… No matter how hard Mamata Banerjee tries, BJP is winning here…, says BJP’s Agnimitra Paul.
— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2022
She is contesting Asansol where bypoll to Lok Sabha seat is underway pic.twitter.com/GspnNIheGq
She slammed the Mamata-led government for not allowing the BJP’s polling agent inside the polling center at the behest of the West Bengal police. “A West Bengal police personnel is standing there and is not letting him enter. TMC is trying to ensure that the polling agent does not enter the booth. After coming here, I ensured that the polling agent is given entry. I will go wherever a complaint is received”, she was quoted.
Meanwhile, Paul also attacked Banerjee for her comments on the Nadia minor rape and murder case. “I am ashamed that being a woman and CM of the state Mamata Banerjee made such comments”, Paul said. On April 11, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee downplayed the brutal rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in Nadia’s Hanskhali village and said that everyone was aware of the girl’s love affair, so one is left to wonder here whether it was an actual rape or a pregnancy that went wrong.
I’m ashamed that being a woman and CM of the state Mamata Banerjee made shameful comments that it has to be seen if the rape victim (Nadia minor rape & murder case) had a love affair or that she was pregnant: Agnimitra Paul, BJP candidate for Asansol LS seat pic.twitter.com/KEPEvUR8Ix
— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2022
Banerjee had said in Bengali, “As a layman, I am saying where would someone get the evidence whether she was actually raped or was she pregnant or was there any other reason, like someone beat her up or she died of some illness. There was a love affair for sure, her family knew about it, and their neighbors also knew about it. Now if a girl and a boy love each other, I cannot punish them. This is not Uttar Pradesh that I can do that in the name of Love Jihad”. Reportedly, Mamata Banerjee recorded her statement after a TMC leader’s son has been named as the accused in the case.
As the voting for the by-election to the Asansol Parliamentary constituency is underway, TMC and BJP are levelling charges against each other. While Agnimitra Paul is fighting from BJP, the TMC has fielded actor-cum-politician Shatrughan Sinha for the Asansol seat. TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee who campaigned for Sinha on April 9 had stated that his car was attacked many times in the past and that the ‘Khela’ had now started in Asansol.
While around 15 lakh voters are estimated to cast their votes today, tight security arrangements have been directed at the 2012 voting booths in Asansol. According to the reports, 680 out of 2012 booths in Asansol have been identified as sensitive. The voting will end at 6:30 pm on April 12.
