Gas chamber of democracy: Guv Dhankhar after violence mars civic polls in Bengal
Zee News
BJP has called for a 12-hour bandh - from 6 am till 6 pm on Monday.
Kolkata: On a day when BJP called for a 12 hours bandh alleging widespread violence during the municipal polls in 108 municipalities across West Bengal, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar summoned state election commissioner Sourav Das to give a detailed report. However, the ruling Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of creating a disturbance in the state.
"There has been widespread violence in the state and everybody is a witness to it. We would like to call for a 12-hour bandh - from 6 a.m. in the morning till 6 p.m. in the evening - on Monday. This is the first day of the week and I know it will cause hindrance to a lot of people but for the future of West Bengal and to save democracy I think people will understand," state BJP President Sukanta Majumdar said.
There were reports of violence from several parts of the state including Bhatapara and Kankurgachi in North 24 Parganas, English Bazar in Malda district and Jalpaiguri district. Police have made preventive arrests of 786 people and arrested 51 people for indulging in violence. According to the state election commission, there were more than 1000 complaints and action has been taken on the basis of the complaints.
However, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was not convinced with the action taken by the State Election Commission and has asked commissioner Sourav Das to report to him about the details of the election before 10 a.m. on Monday. "Today I have seen how democratic values have been throttled. I am hurt to find that West Bengal has turned out to be a gas chamber of democracy".
"People are losing faith in the democratic process. I am aghast and cannot believe that the electoral process could be so polluted. It was a war where the entire administration and the police machinery was on the side along with the dispensation that is in power and the state election commission headed by the state election commissioner has abdicated its authority. I await his response and I expect that he will heed law and the constitution," the governor said.