BJP VP Dilip Ghosh pushed and heckled in Bhabanipur, EC seeks report
Kolkata (PTI): BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh was Monday pushed and heckled by alleged TMC supporters in Bhabanipur assembly constituency, where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in the fray, provoking his security officer to whip out a pistol, as political temperature rose on the last day of electioneering.
The Election Commission has sought a report from the state government on the incident.
BJP MP Arjun Singh faced "go back" slogans by ruling TMC workers while campaigning for party candidate Priyanka Tibrewal.
National TV channels showed Ghosh being pushed and heckled on a road as a posse of security guards tried to shield him. A suspected TMC supporter was seen grabbing a securityman by his collar who swiftly pulled out a pistol to scare away the crowd.
In incident occurred when Ghosh had gone inside a vaccination camp in Jodubabur Bazaar area in the constituency, where by-poll will be held on September 30. TMC supporters present at the spot shouted slogans demanding that he leave, alleging he was campaigning at a state-run vaccination programme.
Ghosh, who was whisked away by his security guards, later alleged TMC supporters "attacked" him without provocation and injured a BJP activist. "We will take up the issue with the Election Commission. What kind of election this is?" he asked.
Sources in the office of the state's chief electoral officer said the Election Commission had sought a report from the state government by 4 pm. It was not yet known if the state had sent its report to the poll panel or contents thereof.
Arjun Singh, who is in charge of the BJP campaign in the constituency, faced "go back" slogans and called "bohiragato" (outsider) as he went around the area soliciting votes. Singh, a multiple-term former TMC MLA, now represents Barrackpore constituency in the Lok Sabha.
Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Suvendu Adhikari, Mamata Banerjee's nemesis in Nandigram, demanded that the Election Commission take action against those responsible for the incident. "The situation here is 'nazuk' (fragile). But BJP workers will fight till their last breath and not quit," he asserted.
Senior TMC leader Madan Mitra said everybody has the right to campaign door-to-door in the constituency but not to intimidate people with a weapon. "It's not Godhra or Bhatpara, it's Bhabanipur. BJP will get a befitting reply for its actions on September 30," he said.
Arjun Singh accused the state administration and police of doing nothing even when MPs and national level BJP leaders were being attacked.
TMC leader Firhad Hakim, a minister, accused the BJP of provoking the people to create disturbance in the peaceful middle class neighbourhood.
"BJP is resorting to provocation sensing defeat. It is better to ignore them. Common people are protesting against them for spreading hatred, falsehood and indulging in personal attacks," Hakim said.
In a tweet, the TMC allleged that Ghosh's bodyguard had brandished firearms to scare away the people.
"@BJP4Bengal HITS A NEW LOW! How DARE a gun be aimed at (the) public in broad daylight? Do people not have the right to protest against leaders they do not support? Such blatant violation of human rights is shameful! This compromises the safety and security of people in Bhabanipur!" the party tweeted.
1.1 How safe is the life of the common man in this state when public representative is being attacked in Bhabanipur, the home turf of Madam Chief Minister ? pic.twitter.com/bgU2DLqEiu
— Dilip Ghosh (@DilipGhoshBJP) September 27, 2021
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Cristiano Ronaldo scores his 100th Saudi Pro League goal
Riyadh (AP): Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th Saudi Pro League goal as Al-Nassr beat Al-Shabab 4-2 to move five points clear at the top of the table.
The 41-year-old forward converted a Sadio Mané cross at the near post with 15 minutes remaining to record the 971st goal of his career on Thursday. It was also his 26th league goal of the season.
“Ronaldo is always dangerous going forward and we saw that again today,” Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus said.
João Félix, signed from Chelsea in July, scored three goals for the league leaders.
The win took Al-Nassr to 82 points from 32 games, five ahead of Al-Hilal, which has three matches, one more than Nassr, left to play. Al-Hilal meets Al-Kholood on Friday and faces Nassr on Tuesday in what could be a title decider against its Riyadh rival.
“Now we have a derby match against our rival, which is a difficult encounter,” Jesus said.
“We are fully aware of its importance, and we are dealing with it with complete focus as we know that small details could decide the result.”
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has yet to secure a major trophy in Saudi Arabia since signing with Al-Nassr in December 2022.
