Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) over alleged poll violence in West Bengal.
Delivering his condemnation via videoconference, PM Modi painted a grim picture of the political atmosphere in West Bengal. Defining it as “Khooni Khel Khela Hai”, he accused the reigning Mamata-Banerjee TMC of not just playing but playing with blood.
“They do anything required to ensure that no BJP candidate can file nomination…they not only threaten BJP workers but also the voters,” the prime minister said.
Intimidation and Booth Capturing: The Allegations
Further delving into the alleged misconduct, Modi stated, “Contracts are given out to capture booths…This is their way of doing politics in the state.” He claimed that the TMC had instructed thugs to seize polling stations on the vote-counting day.
Another unfolding narrative pertained to the Panchayat elections that took place on July 8. Modi accused the TMC of making life hell for voters and creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.
The counting for the 63,229 -Gram Panchayat seats was held on July 11. In spite of the alleged hurdles, BJP emerged victorious in 7,764 seats while TMC secured 28,985 seats, according to the State Election Commission (SEC).
Both voting and counting days were marred by widespread violence, ballot paper theft, and accusations of cheating. Reports of booth capturing, damage to ballot boxes, and assaults on polling officials painted a Disturbing scene of the Bengal Panchayat elections.
Despite these claims, TMC was leading in 1,540 Panchayat seats while BJP was leading in 417, the SEC stated.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) netted 2,409 seats, leading in another 260. Other entities, including TMC rebels, secured 1,656 seats and led in 104 others.
Politics is often a fierce battle, and clashes are inevitable. However, when political differences lead to violence, it’s the democracy that suffers. Amidst PM Modi’s fierce condemnation of TMC amidst Bengal poll violence, it remains essential for every political entity to uphold the principles of a democratic set-up. Above all, people’s will should reflect in the results, not the might of the powerful.
The fierce criticism and allegations surrounding these polls underline the importance of strict measures and diligent monitoring to ensure fair and violence-free elections.
