"CM Mamata is responsible..." Bengal LoP Adhikari demands CBI, NIA probe on Panchayat poll day violence

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 8 : Training his guns at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the election-related violence during the three-tier panchayat elections in West Bengal, state Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday demanded a probe into the incidents by Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) and National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Several incidents of election-related violence have been reported from different districts in West Bengal, with the ruling Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party accusing each other of killing their party workers.

Addressing press persons here, the BJP leader said, "Section 144 should be imposed in the violence-affected areas and CAPF should be deployed on all the booths. Today we are wearing black bands as it is Black Day for democracy. We demand CBI, and NIA probe after today's incident."

He claimed that the total death toll after Friday's violence is 19.

Adhikari said that he will ask the State Election Commissioner to direct CM Mamata Banerjee to compensate Rs 50 lakh to the deceased.

"CM Mamata Banerjee is responsible for the violence in the state today. Why CRPF was not deployed on the booths? We will go to court along with the family members of the deceased in today's violence and demand a detailed probe into the incident," he added.

Earlier in the day, the BJP MLA from Nandigram was initially barred from entering the state election commissioner's office. However, later he was allowed to meet the state election commissioner.

While Speaking tohe demanded the examination of CCTV visuals and repolling in areas where there was violence and CCTV was not working.

"Democracy has been wiped off...we demanded the examination of CCTV visuals and repolling in areas where there was violence and CCTV was not working," he told ANI.

Earlier in the day, while polling was underway, he had demanded the Centre's intervention in the violence and asked to implement President's Rule in the state.

"The state is burning and the Centre should intervene with either Article 355 or Article 356 (President's Rule)," the BJP MLA from Nandigram had said.

West Bengal has 3,341 gram panchayats and the number of village panchayat election centres is 58,594. There are 63,239 seats at the Gram Panchayat level, 9730 at Panchayat Samiti and 928 at the Zila Parishad level.

The counting of votes will be held on July 11.