India News | Left's AIDWA Blames TMC for Post-poll Clashes in Bengal, BJP for Spread of Rumours

New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Blaming the Trinamool Congress for the post-poll violence in West Bengal and accusing the BJP of spreading rumours for political gains, the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) has demanded protection and compensation for the families affected by the clashes.

West Bengal was in the throes of widespread violence on Monday that allegedly left several BJP workers dead and injured in clashes, and shops being looted, prompting the Centre to seek a factual report from the government on incidents of attack on opposition workers.

"The fact that ruthless attacks are being perpetrated by the TMC against any part of the population, including supporters and activists of the CPI(M), other Left parties as also the Congress and ISF who were a part of the Samyukta Morcha, that is suspected of having opposed or not having voted for the ruling party.

"The BJP, callous about the effects of violence on the people, is trying opportunistically to garner political gains out of it and is further spreading rumours and fomenting clashes which dangerously tend to get communalised from both sides," a statement from the All India Democratic Women's Association, a Left-oriented women's rights outfit, said.

As a result, 12 people have died in the state, it said and also highlighted the death of the first woman in the clashes -- Kakoli Kshetrapal of Nabagram village in East Burdwan's Jamalpur who was an activist of CPI(M) and AIDWA.

"She had been on duty at the booth on behalf of the said party on election day and was hacked to death at her own home on May 3 when she confronted armed TMC anti-socials.

"There are also numerous cases of Left activists, including the Red Volunteers who are on the road with much-needed free services for corona-infected people, being attacked, homes of party workers and party and trade union offices being vandalised or set on fire," the AIDWA said and accusing the media of being mostly silent on these cases.

It also alleged that the administration was completely inactive and that Mamata Banerjee, who took oath as the chief minister on Wednesday, has "done nothing to control this terror apart from making a general appeal for maintaining peace".

"AIDWA strongly condemns this outbreak of unbridled terror destroying lives and property and turning into a threat against democracy and harmony among the people of this state. Hundreds of emails with the following demands will be sent to the CM, that the state administration must take all steps forthwith to stop this violence and restore peace and that all victims of violence and their families must have protection and compensation.

"That all legal action must be taken against anti-socials who are trying to foment trouble in rural and urban areas," the statement from AIDWA said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)