Oppn parties allege terror tactics by Trinamool workers; Mamata dubs poll as peaceful
Kolkata : A police sub-inspector was injured when supporters of two political parties clashed immediately after the end of the high-stake election to Kolkata Municipal Corporation, which witnessed a 62 per cent voter turn-out.
Opposition parties alleged widespread violence and terror by Trinamool Congress during polling even as the ruling party dubbed the poll as “peaceful, free and fair” and acused the opposition parties of resorting to a “smear campaign”. Police sources said that the SI was injured when supporters of two parties clashed at Singhi Bagan in Jorasanko area. The sources, however, could not say immediately whether he was injured by bomb splinters or bullets and said the SI was rushed to a local hospital, where his condition was stated to be critical. CM Mamata Banerjee and City Police Commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha visited the injured SI in the hospital.
Reacting to opposition charges, State
Election Commissioner S R Upadhay said, “If election was held in proper atmosphere, so many complaints would not have been made. After going through all the reports we can tell you how many complaints are true and how many false.” Terming the civic poll, billed as the “semifinal” before next year’s Assembly election, as a “farce”, the Congress, CPI-M and BJP accused the TMC of resorting to terror to win the election, a charge rejected by TMC Secretary General and Education Minister Partha Chatterjee.
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Mediapersons under attack
Kolkata: The media was at the receiving end of abuse and violence all through Saturday during the Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls, as those resorting to unethical electoral practices targeted members of the fourth estate to keep their crimes under wraps. Trinamool Congress councillor Ranjit Seal, who is seeking re-election from a ward in Khidirpore, was heard threatening electronic media personnel if they did not ship out from near a booth. “So long I have spoken to you politely. But now go away. Otherwise consequences will not be good,” he said. Camera persons of two news channels were beaten up and their equipment damaged by youths owing allegiance to a political party when they went near a polling station after receiving allegations of booth capturing.
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