Violence mars local body polls in Bengal

Violence mars local body polls in Bengal

FPJ BureauUpdated: Friday, May 31, 2019, 10:03 PM IST
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15 media persons injured in attacks during local polls, Mamata orders probe

Kolkata : At least 17 reporters and camera persons were severely assaulted and their cameras were damaged when Trinamool Congress backed goons attacked them at Salt Lake while they were covering the Bidhannagar Municipality elections held on Saturday.

The goons also snatched cameras from the photo journalists. Some of the journalists were admitted in hospital.

This is the first incident in the recent years when so many journalists were attacked by goons backed by ruling party leaders. Admitting the attack made by the party supporters, Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Education minister Partha Chatterjee said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked to start an inquiry to ascertain who was responsible for indulging the assault on the journalists. Chatterjee said that his party strongly condemned the attack on the journalists. All the opposition political parties vehemently criticised the Trinamool Congress for making the municipal election as “farce”.

The Congress, CPI(M) and BJP demanded cancellation of the Bidhannagar Municipality election. The CPI(M) supporters also demonstrated in front of the office of the state election commission. State BJP leadership led by party state president Rahul Sinha started a sit in demonstration in state election commission office.  The CPI(M) mayoral candidate of Bidhannagar and former West Bengal finance minister Ashim Dasgupta said if the ruling party was confident of winning the elections, why did they prevent the journalists from covering the polls.  The municipal elections of Asansol, Bidhannagar and Bally Municipality which is amalgamated with Howrah Municipal Corporation was also held on Saturday.

The opposition party leadership have been apprehending from the last week that the Trinamool Congress would create trouble on the poll day. Trouble started at Bidhannagar from morning when a large number of outsiders covering their faces with clothes began their operation by hurling bombs in different areas of Bidhannagar areas to create panic so that the voters would not come to excise their franchise and remain in their homes. When the journalists tried to cover the incident they were the targets of the goons.  It was alleged that the antisocials even allegedly threatened a lady reporter that she would be taken into a car and raped any moment. The  anti-socials also abused her and forced her to go back. The reporters, cameramen and photographers of The Telegraph, Zee Television, Calcutta TV ABP Ananda, News Times and many other media houses were injured in the incident.  It was alleged that Trinamool Congress MLA Sujit Basu and other Trinamool Congress leaders had cordoned off the area and prevented the journalists from entering in the area. But interestingly police remained a silent spectator and did not take any action to chase the culprits. Senior IPS officers of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate refused to help injured reporters despite receiving several frantic and distressed calls.

The goons rampantly jammed many election booths and allegedly cast bogus votes in many booths in Bidhannagar Municipality areas.  Several motor cycles were set on fire and many other vehicles were damaged during a clash between the supporters of Trinamool Congress and Congress in Kaikhali which falls under Bidhannagar Municipality area.

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