Pratik Bharti,
INVC,
Accusing Trinamool Congress of creating widespread fear psychosis through “terror and intimidation” in West Bengal, Left parties on Tuesday sought Election Commission’s intervention to ensure free and fair polls.
A Left Front delegation, comprising senior leaders of CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc, met top EC officials here and said the commission should not have “double standards” in dealing with the situation in the state.
While a Congress candidate was arrested in Uttar Pradesh for hate speech against BJP leader Narendra Modi, “numerous” such intimidating speeches were being delivered openly by TMC ministers and leaders against the opposition and even election officials, but no action has been taken so far, they said.
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said top EC officials assured them that they would take necessary action to ensure free and fair elections in the state.
Giving examples, Mr. Yechury alleged that a block development officer was last week warned by Trinamool “elements” that he would be “beheaded” if he continued to remove the wall-writings of their party from official buildings.
“The BDO lodged an FIR but no action has been taken so far,” he said, adding “even today, just when we were meeting the EC, poll officials were beaten up in Howrah by TMC goons.”
His senior party colleague and LF chairman Biman Basu alleged that there were “numerous” instances of the model code being violated by TMC leaders, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Ministers and workers, which they had brought to the EC’s notice.
Assaults, molestations, attacks and lodging of fabricated cases against opposition activists were “creating unprecedented tension prohibiting the holding of free and fair elections in the state,” Mr. Yechury and Mr. Basu told reporters.
While 147 Left activists have been killed since the panchayat polls last year, several thousands have left their hearths and homes due to attacks and intimidation by the ruling party in West Bengal.
