West Bengal Governor visits violence-affected Cooch Behar in north Bengal

Senior officers of West Bengal Police during the day held a meeting with State Election Commisioner on deployment of forces on the polling day

West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose | Photo Credit: PTI

West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Friday visited State’s Cooch Behar district which had witnessed violence during the ensuing panchayat polls. The Governor, who is touring the districts of north Bengal, has stated that he would visit violence-affected areas to have a first-hand experience of the situation.

Clashes between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) had erupted in Cooch Behar and two persons had died in the violence. Prior to this, the Governor had visited violence-affected Bhangar and Canning in South 24 Parganas district and interacted with the locals.

Meanwhile, senior officials of the West Bengal Police met State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha to discuss the security preparations for the polling day. Later in the day, Mr. Sinha told journalists that Central forces had started arriving in the State and the West Bengal Police had promised deployment of 65,000 forces.

So far, the Ministry of Home Affairs has promised deployment of 315 companies of Central forces whereas the Calcutta High Court has directed those Central forces, not less than stationed in the 2013 panchayat polls, be positioned in the State. About 800 companies of Central forces were deployed in the 2013 panchayat polls, which were held in five phases.

During the day, while campaigning for the panchayat polls, Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said that the Trinamool would never bow down before the strong-arm tactics of the BJP government at the Centre.

“Keep trying to disturb those who dare to oppose your misrule. Use strong-arm tactics. Intimidate, issue threats and discriminate against people of the State. But we will not bow our heads. We will continue to be on the road to protest against injustice and atrocities committed by you. We will fight your conspiracies,” Mr. Banerjee said.

The Trinamool Congress leader said after the panchayat polls, lakhs of people from Bengal would go to Delhi to demand the release of the State’s dues for MGNREGS in a month’s time. Elections to 73,000 seats on the three-tier panchayats in the State are scheduled on July 8. So far, 11 persons have lost their lives in the violence since the notification for panchayat polls was issued on June 8.