In a shocking series of events in West Bengal, some Trinamool Congress Party workers allegedly set ablaze the house nand shop of a BJP worker identified as Gopal Pal. The incident happened in the Tikashi area of Khejuri Chatnabari in East Medinipur where the TMC has captured the region in recently held Panchayat Polls.
According to reports, the TMC workers torched the house of Gopal Pal while Pal and his family were fast asleep on Monday, July 17 night. Pal and his family members somehow managed to escape from the house to save their lives. Along the house, their shop was also set ablaze during the attack. Gopal Pal is a grassroots worker of BJP.
The state BJP members have condemned the incident and have said that the TMC was ‘celebrating’ their win in the Panchayat Polls in Khejuri region by burning houses of opposition party workers. As per reports, some of the TMC leaders had arrived in the Chatnabari region on Monday and happened to engage in a verbal brawl with the local BJP workers. According to the BJP workers, the TMC goons then set ablaze the property of one of the BJP leaders late that night.
The BJP has stated that the TMC is spreading the environment of terror after winning the polls. On the other hand, the TMC has refuted the allegations and has said that the BJP workers have themselves destroyed their properties to defame the TMC.
Violence in the state of West Bengal continues even a week after the conclusion of the Panchayat Polls 2023. Earlier, the TMC workers had abducted a BJP worker from West Bengal’s West Midnapore district and had assaulted him. The TMC workers had also urinated on his face when the BJP worker had asked for water.
As reported, the incident happened on Thursday, July 13 when the BJP worker was employed as the polling agent for the recently-concluded panchayat polls. The TMC workers abducted the BJP worker and took him to the Garbeta office where he was tortured and humiliated.
Further, it was also reported that houses of two BJP candidates in Amata Jaipur, Howrah were also set ablaze by the TMC workers when the former were fast asleep at night. The incident happened in the Dakshin Kankrol village of Jaipur Police Station of Amta Assembly.
Post Poll Violence has again infested Rural Bengal. Thousands of Opposition Party Candidates, Party Workers & Supporters have been left shelterless across the State, as their houses are being attacked, put on fire or they are being driven out of the villages due the threat to… pic.twitter.com/Y9i8RAH1jv
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) July 14, 2023
The incidents of violence during the panchayat polls have raised concerns about the deteriorating law and order situation in West Bengal. Till date, more than 50 individuals have lost their lives in the post poll violence in West Bengal.
The Calcutta High Court has already ordered the retention of central forces in the state after the announcement of poll results to prevent post-poll clashes. Over 800 companies of central forces have been deployed in the state to maintain peace and security.
