Mamata Bannerjee led Trinamool Govt. has unleashed a reign of terror to monopolize the rural local bodies in West Bengal. Nominees of the opposition parties including communist revolutionary organizations were prevented even from filing of the nomination papers resulting in the uncontested TMC ‘victory’ in over one third of the seats at different levels. (Declaration of these results has since been stayed by the Supreme Court.) The activists of opposition parties were physically prevented from reaching the venue where nomination papers were being filed. They were beaten and their papers including original documents were snatched even from the venue where nomination papers were being filed. A number of activists of the Party could not file their nomination papers in Bankura district due to such assaults. Police colloborated with the activists of the ruling TMC while State Election Commission connived in this day light murder of election process.
Besides preventing the nominees of other parties from filing the nomination, other parties are being prevented from conducting their campaigns. Their activists are being attacked and they are not being allowed to campaign. One such rally was attacked by Trinamool goons (including an ex-MLA and a notorious Mafia) in which Hafizul Mollah was killed in Bhangar area of South 24 Pargana district of West Bengal. He was participating in the rally in support of a candidate of the Committee for Protect of Land, Livelihood and Environment conducting the struggle against displacement and damage to environment.
TMC has deployed a large number of lumpens for attacking other parties. TMC has taken the practice of the earlier CPM led ‘Left’ Front Govt. to prevent and attack other parties to a new low. In fact the lumpens long employed by the CPM during their rule have now whole sale joined the TMC. Many of these lumpens work for land and building Mafia which has become one of the main source of extractions by the ruling party and the Mafia.
CPI(ML)-New Democracy strongly condemns these attacks in different parts of West Bengal and murder of a participant in Bhangar rally. CPI(ML)-New Democracy calls for protests against these attacks.
May 12, 2018