West Bengal violence toll rises to 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dials Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, May 4

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called up West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and expressed anguish over the law and order situation in the state following reports of post-poll violence from several districts.

PIL seeks deployment of central forces

A PIL in the Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a direction to the Centre to deploy central forces for restoration of law and order in West Bengal. 

Describing the law and order situation in the state as “alarmingly worrisome”, Dhankhar tweeted: “I share grave concerns given that violence vandalism, arson, loot and killings continue unabated. Concerned must act in overdrive to restore order.”

Security given to Nandigram RO

New Delhi: On the direction of the Election Commission, the West Bengal Government has provided security to the Returning Officer (RO) of the Nandigram Assembly constituency and formally communicated to the panel about it. The Nandigram seat had seen a cliffhanger between TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, who won the seat by 1,956 votes. TNS

Rights panel takes note, orders probe

Kolkata: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of post-poll violence in West Bengal and has ordered an inquiry. The commission has asked its DIG (Investigation) to constitute a team of the officers and conduct an investigation and submit a report at the earliest, preferably within two weeks. TNS

The violence claimed three more lives in the state today, taking the toll since the announcement of the election results on May 2 to 12.

BJP chief JP Nadda flew to West Bengal to meet the families of slain party workers and to reassure supporters that they would be given protection.

Drawing a parallel with the violence witnessed at the time of Partition in 1947, Nadda said the recent spate of attacks on BJP supporters in West Bengal were similar in nature. “I have never seen such intolerance in independent India after the announcement of election results,” he said while talking to media persons in Kolkata.

Nadda, who will stay here overnight, later visited the homes of four slain party workers.

The BJP has given a list of nine party supporters, including a woman, who have been killed in the state since May 2 in violence, allegedly unleashed by Trinamool Congress supporters.

The party also alleged that two of its women workers were gang-raped while scores of houses belonging to party members and a number of party offices damaged and ransacked by TMC mobs.

The CPM and the Congress have also strongly condemned the TMC for indulging in post-poll violence against their workers.

Congress leader Jitin Prasada, who oversees the functioning of the party in West Bengal, said in a tweet: “The post-poll violence that has been unleashed by the TMC on Congress workers is unacceptable. Even women and children are not spared. I’m sure the people of West Bengal did not vote for this lawlessness.”

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted: “Are these reports of gruesome violence in Bengal TMC’s victory celebrations? Condemnable.”

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