BJP claim at least 45 killed in Bengal panchayat polls, terms Mamata Banerjee 'ruthless'

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

BJP Tuesday slammed the Trinamool Congress government over the «state-sponsored» violence during the West Bengal panchayat polls, terming Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee «ruthless» and claiming at least 45 people have died in the clashes. Violence rocked the July 8 rural polls, leaving 15 dead while ballot boxes were vandalised, ballot papers burnt and bombs thrown at rivals in several places. Repolling was held on Monday in 696 booths across 19 districts where voting was declared void amid allegations of ballot box tampering and violence.

As counting began on Tuesday and initial trends started pouring in, the BJP's national spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed the ruling TMC's «dadagiri politics» was on even on the day of ballot counting. The BJP's counting agents and that of other opposition parties were being stopped from visiting the counting centres, he claimed at a press conference in the national capital and termed the poll violence «unprecedented». «Going by media reports, at least 45 people were killed during the panchayat poll violence.

Bombing, bogus voting and rigging are the most used words in media reports… This is 'nirmamata' (ruthlessness) and not 'mamata' (endearment),» Patra charged. «These are state-sponsored institutionalised murders… Nirmam Bandyopadhyay (ruthless Mamata Banerjee), who used to talk 'maa, maati,manush', is being a mute spectator,» he alleged. The BJP vehemently condemns the poll violence and «murder of democracy» in West Bengal, Patra said.

He also at the Congress, Left and other parties, accusing them of being silent on the matter. «Where are Lalu Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of 'Maha Thug Bandhan'? Not a word from them so far,» the BJP leader asked. Patra alleged