Congress MP Writes To Mamata Banerjee Over Threat To Rural Poll Winners

Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday wrote to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requesting her "urgent intervention to stop the intimidation and abduction of the elected opposition candidates prior to the formation of the three-tier Panchayat boards".

"I would sincerely request you to desist from using police and goons by torturing, terrorizing and forcing other party's candidates and supporters to monopolize the Trinamool Congress's dominance," Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote in the letter.

The state Congress chief also alleged in the letter that a person at Nabagram was "larruped to death by the police". "Where shall people go for safety when the police turn to be killers?" he asked in the letter.

"Is this a civilized way of winning elections in the state of West Bengal where you are the honorable Chief Minister for more than a decade!" the state Congress chief wrote.

The Congress MP alleged that West Bengal witnesses unprecedented violence, murders and blood bath during the Panchayat elections. He also alleged that police along with goons and political leaders are threatening them with murder charges and compelling them to accept the membership of the Trinamool Congress party.

"I would like to draw your attention that each time before and after "Panchayat" election there have been unprecedented violence, murders and blood bath in West Bengal. Despite this violence, wherever Congress candidates have won (Panchayat), police/political leaders/goons threatened them by slapping murder and other charges thus compelling themselves to save their lives through surrender by accepting the TMC membership," Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote.

Mr Chowdhury added that this has the potential to hamper the "democratic health of the nation". Accusing the TMC activists of having an "insatiable thirst" for more power, Adhir Chowdhury said that this is leading to "monocratic rule" in the state and reducing the "space for the opposition".

"If this goes on unchecked, it is bound to assume in the days to come a monstrous dimension which will tell upon the democratic health of the nation as well as that of West Bengal. The insatiable thirst of the activists of TMC party for more power and lucre is being instrumental in shaping the concept of the monocratic rule in Bengal," Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury warned.

"... this proclivity among ruling party workers and leaders would be reflected in the reduction of the space for the opposition to a bare minimum," he added.