'Stop the stunts by exaggerating post poll violence'

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging to "stop the stunts" by exaggerating "political violence" in Bengal when mostly TMC workers are being attacked in incidents of post-poll violence despite the party's landslide victory giving a major setback to the BJP in national politics.

This comes when three TMC workers were killed in post-poll violence, a Panchayat member stabbed to death at Ketugram in East Burdwan and houses of hundreds were attacked in Cooch Behar.

The Prime Minister called up Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and expressed his concern. BJP national president JP Nadda also came down to Bengal to raise allegations of "poor law and order situation" in the state and claiming that his party will fight against it democratically.

Dhankhar, who was already being informed about the situation by the state Home Secretary, Director General of Police and Kolkata Police's Commissioner on Monday, made claims of post-poll violence even on Tuesday. "PM called and expressed his serious anguish and concern at alarmingly worrisome law and order situation @MamataOfficial. I share grave concerns @PMOIndia given that violence vandalism, arson. loot and killings continue unabated. Concerned must act in overdrive to restore order," he tweeted.

In a prompt reply, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien tweeted: "PM makes a call to West Bengal governor on 'political violence'. (Exaggerated 214%). Stop the stunts, Mr Prime Minister. Work the phones on #COVID19India..."

Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim also took a swipe at the Prime Minister saying that he should have called the Covid vaccine producers to send vaccines to Bengal instead of calling the Governor.

Claiming that many of their workers were attacked, Nadda said: "Thousands of BJP workers will fight to give a reply to the attacks democratically." He would also take part in the state-wide demonstration of his party against the attack.

A 54-year-old Trinamool Congress leader, Srinivas Ghosh, who was a member of Agardanga Gram Panchayat, was stabbed to death when attacked allegedly by BJP backed goons at Ketugram in East Burdwan. Two more party workers were critically injured while trying to save him. Similarly in Cooch Behar, where BJP bagged six out of nine seats, many Trinamool Congress workers were beaten up and their houses were attacked.

Meanwhile, a fake tweet by Deep Halder, again a member of a media group, claiming that "two BJP women poll agents gangraped, many women molested in Birbhum: Bengal BJP @ India Today". The West Bengal Police issued a fake news alert in its Twitter handle by marking the same post as "FAKE".

"BJP is basically continuing its politics of violence as it carries out in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. We have to put an end to their politics of lies and violence," Hakim said in reply to Nadda's claim of violence in Bengal.

Criticising Dilip Ghosh for his claim of deferring Mamata Banerjee's swearing-in ceremony till the law and order situation settles down, veteran politician and senior TMC leader Subrata Mukherjee held BJP responsible for the violence as an outcome of the tension that had brewed up due to the two-month-long eight-phase elections.

BJP leaders Babul Supriyo and Suvendu Adhikari also called on the Governor at Raj Bhavan over the issue.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh took an exemplary move helping a BJP worker to get back to his house at Manicktala and distributed sweets spreading the message of peace.

Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in connection with the post-poll violence has been filed in the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday. The hearing is expected on Wednesday.

Nagendra Nath Tripathi, appointed as Superintendent of Police of Birbhum district by the Election Commission, stated that the reports of gangrape in Birbhum are fake.

"The police are trying to find out from where the fake news originated on social media. Appropriate action will be taken against those who are behind the fake news that is circulating on social media since Monday evening. We would like to inform people through the media that the incident claimed to be of Nanoor in Birbhum is baseless. No such incident has happened in Birbhum district. We also spoke to party leaders and even they are unaware of any such incident," he added.