WB panchayat polls: Opp maligning govt image, TMC not behind violence, says CM Mamata

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 15 : Amid reports of fresh violence on the last day of filing nominations for the panchayat polls in West Bengal and the Calcutta High Court directing deployment of central forces in all districts, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Opposition forces of trying to tarnish the image of the ruling Trinamool Congress while denying her party's involvement in clashes and violence.

Addressing media persons at Diamond Harbour in the Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal on Thursday, the chief minister said, "Roads have been built on a massive scale at Diamond Harbour and our efforts in this direction will continue in the coming days. (TMC MP) Abhishek Banerjee has also taken an active interest in the ongoing development work at Diamond Harbour and cares for the people (of his Lok Sabha constituency) just like he does his family."

The CM added, "I wish all the MPs, MLAs, councillors and other people's representatives would stand with them in good times and bad. I wish TMC is seen as a party for the people. There were incidents of violence at three places but those were due to local issues. My party has nothing to do with these incidents. From the information that I have gathered so far, 3 lakh nominations have been filed for the panchayat polls this year, which is the highest for any state. During the erstwhile CPI(M)-led Left Front government in the state, 36 people died on the day of the panchayat elections. Mira Pandey was the chairperson of the State Election Commission in 2013 when 39 people died on polling day."

Further denying her party's hand in the violence around the filing of nominations for the panchayat polls, the Bengal CM said, "Often, more than one member of a family file nominations for these elections. We are not involved in any way in the violence in Islampur and Chopra (in Uttar Dinajpur district). We did not give tickets to people involved in these incidents. We fielded candidates only after assessing their credibility. There was a family dispute behind the violence in Islampur. I have directed the police to take strong action (against the perpetrators). Opposition parties were behind the violence in Bhangar (in South 24 Parganas district) yesterday. They tried to stoke communal violence and we retaliated. I have directed the authorities concerned to take strong action."

Coming down heavily on the BJP government at the Centre, the Bengal CM said, "The Centre has sent 155 companies of central forces here but the person accused in a sexual harassment case (BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh) continues to roam freely. They have stopped sending money for road development projects. Central funds are being blocked."

Further hitting out at the Centre over the arrest of DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji, the Bengal CM said, "In Tamil Nadu, a ruling party leader was arrested by the central agency but a person accused of sexual harassment by our wrestlers is still roaming freely."