Bengal polls: Bhangar tense after killing of Independent candidate's supporter
Kolkata, May 12: The situation in West Bengal's Bhangar on Saturday remained tense ahead of May 14 panchayat election across the state, after a supporter of an Independent candidate for the rural polls was killed on Friday.
The police arrested local strongman of the ruling Trinamool Congress Arabul Islam on Friday late night and he was charged for attempting murder.
"Islam was produced before a district court on Saturday and he was remanded to police custody till May 22," the police said.
Soon after the death of the supporter, Hafizul Molla (26), hundreds of villagers in Bhangar started protesting demanding action against Arabul Islam and his aides. Agitators on Saturday vandalised house of an Islam's aide and set on fire many houses, though police said the situation was "under control".
In fact, stocks of crude bombs were spotted from a garden adjacent to the house of arrested Trinamool leader, villagers said.
Molla, a resident of Bhangar's Machibhanga in South 24 Parganas district, died on Friday after an armed attack on a political rally brought out by the "Jomi, Jibika, Bastutantra O Poribesh Raksha Committee" (committee to protect land, livelihood, ecology and environment), which has been leading a movement against the construction of a power grid sub-station in the area.
On Saturday, the committee members took out a rally in Central Kolkata in protest against the murder. Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra, along with several other Left Front leaders, took part in the rally.
Mishra held Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee responsible for the murder. State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Dilip Ghosh described Islam's arrest as an "eyewash". Bhangar has been on the boil for over a year now on the issue of construction of the sub-station.
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What was the need to disrespect 82-year-old leader: Priyanka slams PM
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of disrespecting Mallikarjun Kharge by not replying to the Congress president's letter himself, and said it is unfortunate that leaders in the highest positions have rejected great traditions of democracy.
The Congress general secretary said today's politics is full of poison and the prime minister should have set a different example, keeping the dignity of his post in mind.
On Tuesday, Kharge had written a letter to the prime minister and raised the issue of "extremely objectionable" and violent statements by the ruling alliance members targeting Rahul Gandhi, urging him to discipline his leaders.
In response to Kharge's letter to Modi, BJP chief J P Nadda wrote to the Congress president and cited his party's own litany of complaints against the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and other Congress members for their choice of words against the prime minister.
In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said that in view of the unrestrained and violent statements of some BJP leaders and ministers, Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Kharge wrote a letter to the PM, concerned about the safety of the life of Rahul Gandhi.
"If the Prime Minister had faith in democratic values, balanced dialogue and respect for elders, he would have himself replied to this letter.
Instead, he got a low-level and aggressive reply written by Nadda ji and sent it," she said.
What was the need to disrespect an 82-year-old senior public leader, Priyanka Gandhi asked.
"The tradition and culture of democracy is to ask questions and have a dialogue. Even in religion, no one is above values such as dignity and etiquette," she said.
"Today's politics is full of poison, the Prime Minister should have set a different example, keeping the dignity of his post in mind," Priyanka Gandhi said.
If the PM had respectfully replied to the letter of a senior politician, his image and dignity would have increased in the eyes of the public, she said.
"It is unfortunate that our leaders in the highest positions in the government have rejected these great traditions," Priyanka Gandhi said.
The Congress on Thursday had said Prime Minister Modi must rise above "petty politics" and condemn the actions of the ruling alliance leaders, who targeted Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
The opposition party had asserted the whole world is watching how the ruling BJP is "putting the life of the Leader of the Opposition in danger".
The assertion came in a letter by AICC general secretary in-charge Jairam Ramesh to Nadda in response to the BJP chief's letter to Kharge earlier.
The opposition party has slammed as "intemperate" and "juvenile" Nadda's reply to Kharge on his letter to Prime Minister Modi flagging "threats" aimed at Gandhi.
