Amid polling in nine Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal during the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha Election on Saturday, reports of poll-related violence and tension surfaced from several pockets, including Sandeshkhali.
The violence reportedly started late Friday night and continued till the polling process began on Saturday. Sandeshkhali under Basirhat Lok Sabha, which turned out to be the epicentre of tension.
BJP candidate Rekha Patra alleged that TMC goons stopped voters from casting their votes.
The TMC made counter allegations and accused Patra and BJP goons of trying to vitiate the poll atmosphere.
As both the groups came to blows on Basanti express highway, police resorted to baton charge and tear gas shelling to disperse the mob.
Basirhat SP Hossain Mehedi Rahaman said three persons were injured during the clash between TMC and BJP supporters at Bayramari in Sandeshkhali, adding that one person was arrested in this connection.
The riverine area has been on the boil since Friday night in Bermajur area as the BJP made allegations that TMC workers, accompanied by policemen, intimidated its polling agents by visiting their homes on Friday night.
The women also alleged that the local goons who were behind such threats were close associates of now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who is currently behind bars.
The Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari and BJP Information Technology cell chief Amit Malviya shared the videos of the protesting women at Sandeshkhali.
Malviya said the West Bengal police, on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s instruction, police ran a ‘midnight operation’ to intimidate voters of Sandeshkhali.
“In a midnight operation, WB Police, on the instructions of Mamata Banerjee, is going door to door in Bermajur, which is in #Sandeshkhali, and intimidating BJP booth agents. Women are being threatened and abused. Their voter cards are being snatched and they are being told not to sit in the booths tomorrow. Power has been shut in the entire area. Local TMC goons are guiding the police. There is no woman cop accompanying them, as should have been the case, if this was a legitimate exercise. Mamata Banerjee will pay for her sins. But for now we are ensuring protection for our karyakartas,” Malviya said in a post on X.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari also claimed police personnel and civic volunteers in plain clothes are roaming around in different areas of the island to threaten voters, especially women.
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