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Mediapersons assaulted in Bengal municipal polls , TMC blamed

by IBNS 02 Oct 2015, 10:24 pm

Kolkata, Oct 3 (IBNS): Journalists and cameramen of two major Bengali news channels were attacked by alleged Trinamool Congress goons in Kolkata's satellite town Salt Lake during the coverage of municipal polls on Saturday, marred by widespread violence and rigging.

High octane municipal polls in  Salt Lake (Bidhannagar) and West Bengal's second largest city Asansol besides some wards of Bally are underway on Saturday amid reports of violence and booth capturing allegedly indulged in by the ruling TMC, which is bracing up for next year's Assembly polls when it faces a Left Front that is seen pulling up their socks in recent times.

The mediapersons of ABP Ananda and 24 Ghanta were attacked as they bled and lay on the ground writing in pain with police remaining a mute spectators, the local media reported. 

The injured mediapersons are ABP Ananda and 24 Ghanta's Prakash Sinha, Aritrik Bhattacharya, Parthasarathi Chakraborty, Bikram Das, Debarati Ghosh and Mintu Basak, the channels said. 

The incident occurred in FD Block of Salt Lake. 

Opposition parties earlier alleged complete anarchy and inaction of police as polling for the 106-seat Asansol and 41-seat Bidhhannagar municipalities go to polls along with the added areas of  Bally Municipality's 16 Wards (Ward 51 to 66) , which is being amalgamated with the Howrah Municipal Corporation, are currently underway here in West Bengal.

While reports of violence poured in from everywhere, TV footage showed people brandishing swords openly in Asansol.

In ward number 41 of Bidhannagar, police, however, was seen charging some outsiders with lathis. But local media reports said police played a largely inactive role. 

The Asansol Municipal Corporation was formed by merging Raniganj, Jamuria and Kulti municipalities while the Bidhannagar corporation was constituted by merging Bidhannagar and Rajarhat-Gopalpur municipalities.

Meanwhile, civic polls in Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad is also underway.

More than 13 lakh voters will decide the fates of the candidates on Saturday.

Amid claims of huge security arrangements by authorities, the opposition alleged that outsiders  under the shelter of TMC are  rigging  in many booths in presence of the state police force.

The results will be declared on Oct 7.