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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that she was saddened by this Loss of life In “sporadic” violent incidents during the panchayat elections.
Banerjee also asserted that her government has given the police free hand to take action against those behind the violence.
“I am saddened by the loss of life in the isolated incidents of violence (during the rural elections). “They are victims of circumstances…the elections were held in 71,000 stalls, but the violence took place in no more than 60 stalls,” Banerjee told reporters at the State Secretariat.
The chief minister claimed that 19 people, mostly from the Trinamool Congress, had died in election-related violence since the election date was announced on June 8, however, police sources put the death toll at 37.
“I give the police a free hand against those behind the violence,” she said, announcing compensation of Rs 2 lakh each and a private house guard job for a family member of the dead.
Banerjee called for peace and harmony in the aftermath of the elections.
The TMC chief also criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party for sending a fact-finding team to violence-affected areas in the state.
Calling it a “BJP protection committee” and a “provocation committee”, it questioned why such teams had not been sent to ethnic violence-wracked Manipur or Agartala, where opposition activists were allegedly attacked earlier this year.
Where was the fact-finding team when Manipur was burning? Where was that team when Assam was burning over the NRC? In two years, approximately 154 such teams were sent to Bengal.
She also thanked the people of Bengal for the TMC’s resounding success in rural opinion polls and said that the opposition “spreading malice” against it actually helped the party win.
“Why do you (the opposition) have such hatred against me? Is it because I come from a humble family background? Is it because I’m talking about loneliness? ” She said.
Banerjee also criticized Congress and CPI(M), accusing them of being responsible for the violence in the elections.
I do not indulge in the politics of hate and violence. I am sorry to say that Ram (BJP), Paam (left) and Shyam (Congress) plotted and resorted to violence. I don’t want to say too much because we aim for (non-BJP) unity at the national level.”
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