1 week ago
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KOLKATA/RAIGANJ: A political blame game broke out a day before Friday's voting for first phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, following violent clashes on Ram Navami in Murshidabad's Beldanga and East Midnapore's Egra that left 23 people wounded, including four BJP workers and three police officers.
CM
Mamata Banerjee
criticised EC, dubbing it "BJP commission" & alleging that Murshidabad range DIG's transfer a day before Ram Navami allowed BJP to create trouble ahead of polls.
For its part, Bengal BJP sent an email to governor CV Ananda Bose, urging for an NIA probe into the violence.
At a rally in Raiganj on Thursday, Mamata said: "What if I say Murshidabad clash was pre-planned? The minority population is being shown in poor light to create a division among communities..."
"If I may ask BJP commission (EC) what provoked you to suddenly transfer the DIG a day before Ram Navami? Was it to facilitate the drama you did all day long?" Banerjee asked. She accused Rathin Chakraborty, BJP candidate for Howrah, of carrying weapons at Ram Navami rally. "I have evidence," she added.
BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari said participants of the Ram Navami procession were targeted with stones and bombs. The party accused the CM of inciting the clashes.
"Bengal is falling apart and Mamata is responsible for it. Her vituperative and communal speeches are the reason Ram Bhakts were attacked across Bengal," BJP's Bengal co-in-charge Amit Malviya posted on X. He said "after rioting in Murshidabad, devotees were targeted in Egra, Medinipur".
Vishwa Hindu Parishad also condemned the incident and demanded an NIA investigation into the matter. Joint general secretary Surendra Jain alleged that it "was carried out under the patronage of TMC".
State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury labeled the clashes a "political conspiracy", blaming both BJP and TMC for intentionally escalating tensions.
(Inputs from Suman Mandal, Rohit Khanna, Sukumar Mahato)
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