Politics of murder, intimidation, muscle flexing: WB Governor on panchayat poll violence

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 4 (ANI): West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday criticised the ongoing violence in Panchayat polls and said that the violence can be described as politics of “murder”, “intimidation” and of “muscle flexing”.

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose who has been visiting various places where violence had earlier broken out in the state.
“My visit to the field has convinced me that there is violence in certain pockets of West Bengal. There is a manifestation of what is called the politics of murder, the politics of intimidation, the politics of muscle flexing,” he said.

Governor CV Ananda Bose said that his visits should not be construed as a “fault-finding mission” but a “fact-finding mission”.

“I am visiting the various places of occurrence of violence not as part of any fault-finding mission but as a fact-finding mission,” the West Bengal Governor said.

Taking care to point out that he is not doing anything that is beyond the mandate of a Governor, he said, “The statements made here will be within the Constitution of India and the Governor’s mandate.”

“My Constitutional colleagues have every right to exercise their duties freely, frankly and fearlessly and the Governor will not interfere in that. They will function independently,” he added.

Earlier on Sunday, Governor Ananda Bose had a telephonic conversation with the family of Trinamool Congress worker Ziarul Molla who was shot dead in Basanti on Saturday.

The Governor who was on his way back from Cooch Behar assured the bereaved family of all help, a video released from the Raj Bhavan showed.

The TMC worker was found lying with a bullet injury on his head on the side of the road at Basanti police station. The incident took place on Saturday night in the Phulmalanch village panchayat area in the limits of Basanti police station.

Earlier on Sunday, Governor Bose paid a visit to a private hospital in Cooch Behar to meet the injured in the violence at Dinhata. The Governor also spoke to the Cooch Behar superintendent of Police and the district magistrate.

West Bengal has seen several incidents of violence around the filing of nominations for the panchayat polls as well as after, including one where crude bombs were allegedly hurled at a Block Development Office (BDO) at Ahmadpur in Birbhum district.

A TMC worker was also allegedly beaten to death in the Malda district. The panchayat elections will be held in a single phase, with the counting of votes scheduled on July 11. The polls are likely to see a fierce tussle for control of local administrations between the ruling TMC and the BJP and will be a litmus test for both parties ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.