Mamata Banerjee claimed security personnel of paramilitary force CRPF are "harassing voters"
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today alleged that the security personnel of the paramilitary force CRPF are "harassing voters" in the state at the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Addressing a rally in Bengal's Cooch Behar district, she accused security personnel of the central force of "molesting women and beating people" during the ongoing assembly elections, reported news agency Press Trust of India.
"They are obstructing electors to cast their votes. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed them to do so," Mamata Banerjee alleged.
She further claimed that at least 10 people have been killed in the state during the ongoing Assembly election.
"The Election Commission is running the administration. Please see that nobody is killed during the polling process. I request you to monitor CRPF personnel who are on duty now in the state. They should not be allowed to harass women. There are cases of girls being molested by the central force employees," she alleged.
According to news agency Press Trust of India, five candidates, including two women, were assaulted, while clashes between rival political groups erupted during the third phase of polling in the state on Tuesday.
Television footage reportedly showed Trinamool nominee in Arambagh Sujata Mondal being chased in an open field by people wielding sticks and iron rods and then hitting her on the head with sticks.
Her security officer was also injured.
Other candidates who were allegedly attacked or heckled during the day were Papiya Adhikary and Swapan Dasgupta of the BJP and Dr Nirmal Maji and Najmul Karim of the Trinamool.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)