CM appeals for peace during Panchayat board formation

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged everyone to maintain peace instead of creating violence over the formation of boards in the Panchayats.

While leaving Nabanna on Monday evening, Banerjee said all deaths are unfortunate. "I feel the same for the death of a worker of another political party as I feel for one from my own party. So it is my request to all to carry out the process of board formation without any confrontation," the Chief Minister said adding that there are lots of differences between the Panchayat polls and the Lok Sabha elections. Many local issues and even personal enmity work as a catalyst in creating trouble during the Panchayat elections.

Stating that she would never support such violence, the Chief Minister further added: "Creating violence is not the work of any political party. I am also directing my party to maintain peace as there is no need for such violence to just form a board."

At the same time, the Chief Minister also launched an attack without naming the BJP that people from the neighbouring states were brought in to create trouble. On Sunday, some outsiders were brought in through the Bihar border to create trouble and a similar thing happened through the bordering areas in Alipurduar and Malda.

There was direct confrontation with the police. In some places, the cops were also attacked. "In Purulia, there was direct confrontation with the police. It left a policeman seriously injured. He was admitted to the ICCU."

There was trouble in Malda and two of their supporters were killed in Purulia, she said adding: "We have evidence that some jawans of the Central Force are working for the party. Law and order is a state subject and the Central Force should take local police into confidence to tackle any law and order problem."

She further said: "Some central agencies, whom I don't want to name, are even distributing rudrakshas along with the RSS. With all these, the institutions are losing their credentials."

"If their (BJP's) three workers were killed then we have lost 30 workers. But we never did politics over the death of any person," she said adding that many allegations were brought in connection with the Kakdwip incident. "But as per the report, CPI(M) workers were arrested from Hyderabad in this connection."

During the Cabinet meeting that was held on Monday, she had directed all the ministers to ensure that no more violence takes place over the formation of the Panchayat boards and strict vigil should be maintained in their respective areas to avoid the same.

After several turbulent decades of routine violence during the CPM-led Left Front regime, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has catapulted West Bengal to the status of one of the most peaceful states in India. She has also ensured that the state's people are among the most law abiding in the country.