BJP Worker’s Killing Sparks Massive Protests In Bengal’s Nandigram, Police Resort To Lathi-Charge

Days before the sixth phase of polling for the Lok Sabha election in West Bengal on May 25, reports of violence have poured in from East Medinipur district’s Nandigram district, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has claimed that several of their workers were attacked by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers last night.

BJP on Thursday launched a protest march in Nandigram saying one of their female worker –Rotibala Ari — has lost her life and seven other people have been injured in the incident. The injured workers have been admitted to a local hospital for treatment.

Several shops were torched by an angry mob who called for a 12-hour bandh in Nandigram.

Heavy police deployment was made in the area to disperse BJP workers who blocked the roads and burned tyres. Cops had to resort to lathi-charge to control the situation in the Sonachura area of the district. A unit of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) has also been deployed in the area to control the violence.

BJP’s Allegations

The local BJP leadership claimed that in the wake of the elections, the local BJP supporters including women activists conduct night patrolling in the Sonachura area periodically to check anti-social elements during the polls.

According to the local BJP leader Meghnad Pal, in the wee hours of Thursday when a similar patrol was going on, a group of unknown miscreants reached there on motorcycles and attacked the patrolling team with sharp weapons.

“In that attack, Rotibala was killed and her son, who was injured, is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital. We strongly believe that these unknown miscreants were linked to the ruling Trinamool Congress,” Pal said.

Condemning the violence, BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya said Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee must be held accountable for her provocative statements and subsequent action by criminal members of her party.

“16th May, 2024 – Mamata Banerjee, at a rally in Haldia, threatened to take revenge for her defeat in Nandigram. She lost to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, but still shamelessly took over as Chief Minister. On 23rd May, 2024 – BJP worker Rathibala Arhi is murdered in Nandigram. I condemn Trinamool supporters cowardly attack on BJP workers in Nandigram. Trinamool supporters attacked BJP workers with sharp weapons in the Sonachura area of Nandigram. Seven people were injured in the incident. Rathibala Arhi, a woman BJP worker, lost her life. Such violence is unacceptable in democracy,” he said in a post on X.

“Mamata Banerjee must be held accountable for her provocative statements and subsequent action by criminal members of her party. We will fight and ensure justice for Rathibala Adhikari and all victims. Our local unit has called for a 12 hours bandh in Nandigram. But when will the election commission take note of Mamata Banerjee’s repeated communal and murderous statements? After the election is over?” the BJP leader added.

TMC Denies Violence Charges

The TMC, however, denied any association with the violence and said it was internal rivalry among the BJP workers that led to the clashes.

Dismissing the allegation, TMC leader in Nandigram, Swadesh Das said, “There were some family disputes and the killing could be the consequence of that.”

Another senior officer of district police said that an investigation into the killing of the woman is underway. So far, police have made no arrests or detention in connection with the violence.

EC Seeks Report

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has sought a report from authorities over the incident. The commission is also sending some observers to Bengal to look into the matter.

Polling in Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency– which comprises seven Assembly segments including Tamluk, Panskura Purba, Nandakumar, Mahisadal, Moyna, Haldia-SC and Nandigram– is due on May 25.

Violence In Nandigram

The reports of violence came a day after TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee visited Nandigram–, the assembly constituency of the leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari–seeking vote for his party’s Tamluk candidate Debangshu Bhattacharya.

On Wednesday, addressing a rally there, Banerjee said that the BJP needs to be voted out of power so that the reservation rights of the people are protected. He said a change is imminent at the Centre and the TMC would play a crucial role in forming the new government.

Banerjee wondered what Suvendu Adhikari had delivered to the people of his seat. Calling Adhikari a “Gaddar” (traitor), he claimed the former TMC minister joined the BJP to evade ED and CBI scrutiny.

“Suvendu Adhikari cannot be the son of this pure soil of Medinipur. This is the soil of (freedom fighter) Satish Samanta and other revolutionaries,” he said.

Banerjee alleged that Adhikari won by fraud in the 2021 assembly elections with the help of a power outage during the counting of votes.

He said he knows that certain individuals did not allow people to vote in several areas of Nandigram during the 2021 assembly elections.

Warning them, he said, “The result of their action will not be good. They should be cautious. After Debangshu’s win, I will come to Nandigram within a month.”

Meanwhile, the Bengal police, over May 21-22, searched several in Purba and Paschim Medinipur connected to Adhikari and other BJP leaders. A local BJP leader was also arrested following raids, which sparked a major outrage.

The BJP has accused West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee of trying to intimidate its workers before the sixth phase of voting in the state.

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