Boy killed, nine injured in Bengal blast
Kolkata, Oct 2 : An eight-year-old boy was killed and at least nine persons were injured when a crude bomb exploded in Dumdum in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday, police said.
Deceased boy Bibhash Gosh's mother was among those injured who were admitted to state-run SSKM Hospital.
The blast around 9 a.m. outside a shop in Nagerbazar area ripped through nearby shops, shattered windowpanes of houses and damaged a walkway, eyewitnesses said.
Ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party blamed each other for the blast.
"A large explosion took place outside the shop in Nagerbazar area. According to our probe so far, low-intensity socket bombs were used," Barrackpore Police Commissioner Rajesh Kumar Singh said.
"More explosives were used to magnify the effects of the low-intensity crude bombs -- parts of which ricocheted off the concrete floor and hit a terrace, causing the blast impact to double.
"Eight-year-old Bibhash Gosh was among the injured. He succumbed to injuries at the hospital," he said.
The police officer said: "We are investigating. A bomb squad of Criminal Investigation Department visited the spot. Several items, including a bag, were seized from the spot and sent for forensic tests. We are still trying to find out the type of explosive used."
Local Trinamool Congress leader and South Dumdum Municipality Chairman Panchu Gopal Roy, who often comes to a tea stall adjacent to the blast spot to interact with fellow party workers, claimed that the blast was targeted at him.
"I think they tried to target me. Today is October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. We all know which group was involved in Gandhiji's killing. I will not be surprised if that same group is involved in this blast," he said.
Food Minister and Trinamool leader Jyotipriyo Mullick also termed the incident a "conspiracy to kill Roy" and blamed the BJP.
"I have never seen such an incident in Dumdum in my entire life. Roy often comes here in the morning to interact with the locals. Hundreds of youth party workers also assemble in the area. It is a clear conspiracy by the BJP to kill him. They are systematically trying to create unrest in the state and kill our partymen," Mullick alleged.
"I urge all our councillors to arrange for their own protection. The BJP is trying to kill them in broad daylight. I am speechless. How can a political party, which is in power at the Centre, do such things? They are doing it everywhere. Now our boys will give them a befitting answer politically," he said.
The state BJP, however, denied the allegation and said it had become a habit of the TMC leaders to blame it for any untoward incidents in the state.
"It is the habit of the Trinamool leaders to drag the BJP into everything. But the truth is that all the bomb explosions in Bengal are happening in and around the Trinamool Congress party offices. Be it the Khagragarh blast or the explosion in east Bardhaman's Guskara. In Bankura, a number of blasts took place inside their party offices," state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said.
"Their leaders are still blaming the BJP and outsiders from Jharkhand for all this. Then why can't the police arrest anybody? They cannot stop or defame the BJP like this. Such incidents near Kolkata show that law and order is in a shambles," he added.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
