“Over the past three days, we have been living in constant fear,” said Krishna Bagh, recalling the attack on her house on April 11 hours after polling ended in the Pandaveshwar Assembly constituency in Bardhaman in West Bengal. Her husband, Bidyut Bagh, and the family are still being threatened by local Trinamool Congress activists.
“I am not an active member of the CPI(M). I am more of a supporter. The Trinamool wants to remove any kind of opposition and that is why we are being targeted,” Mr. Bagh said.
On the night of April 11, he had to flee his house fearing for his life and was assaulted by the men who hurled bombs at his house. “The attack continued from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.,” Mr. Bagh said.
At least six houses in the Bazarpara area of Pandaveshwar were attacked and set on fire after the polling.
Another local CPI(M) supporter, Basudeb Ghosh, whose house was set afire in the post-poll violence, said the fault of those attacked was that they put up a polling agent from the party at the booths in the area.
“They are angry at us as we did not allow the loot of votes. Even on Wednesday morning we got calls to leave the neighbourhood and face consequences,” Mr. Ghosh said.
The situation remains tense in the region three days after the violence as young men guard houses during the day. During the night there are none in the houses except the elderly.
“We have lodged three cases against those who attacked us. Though the police are conducting raids, not a single person has been arrested yet,” Mr. Ghosh said. The locals alleged that accused continued to roam freely and threaten Opposition supporters. The only assistance the families have received is from the CPI(M). Local MLA Gouranga Chatterjee visited the area after the incident.
