Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders argued that the deaths of political activists during the panchayat elections held two days ago should make everyone feel guilty and called for a stop to the tradition of political violence.
On Saturday, violence rocked West Bengal’s rural elections, leaving 15 people dead while voting boxes were vandalised, vote papers were set on fire, and explosives were thrown at competitors in several locations.
Eleven of those who died were connected to the TMC.
“As a Bengali, I hang my head in shame, and everyone else should too, because even in 2023, we were unable to put an end to this violent lifestyle.
“We should introspect why we cannot shun this culture. We don’t witness so much violence in any other place,” a former police officer, senior TMC MLA Humayun Kabir, said.
33 persons have died in political violence
33 persons have died in political violence since the date of the panchayat polls was announced early last month. Also, 30 people lost their lives during the 2018 panchayat elections. 76 people participated in the polling procedure in 2003.
Sougata Roy, a senior TMC leader, blamed the State Election Commission (SEC), saying that murder and other acts of violence are not typical of a democratic society.
“It would have been better if the elections were held in a peaceful atmosphere. Unfortunately, so many people were killed. It is the duty of the SEC to ensure that elections are held peacefully. The culture of political violence must end,” he said.
However, the BJP took the TMC leaders’ comments with a grain of salt and labelled it “late realisation.”
“Sougata Roy sometimes tries to act like an inner voice of the TMC but unfortunately, his views have no takers in his party. These are nothing but crocodile tears. The CPI(M) had brought this culture of politics in Bengal, and the TMC had mastered it,” BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.
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