TMC MPs allege central forces baton-charged voters outside polling booth

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghosh on Wednesday alleged that central security forces baton-charged civilians, including women and a child, near a polling booth in South 24 Parganas district during the West Bengal elections.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghosh on Wednesday alleged that central security forces baton-charged civilians, including women and a child, near a polling booth in South 24 Parganas district during the West Bengal elections. The party also alleged that though the BJP virtually declared ''war on the people of Bengal,'' the overwhelming mandate in favour of Mamata Banerjee will decimate the saffron party on the day of counting on May 4. In a post on social media, Ghosh accused the forces of ''unbelievable violence'' and claimed that after baton-charging women, the paramilitary personnel did not relent and went on ''hitting and injuring a child''. Ghosh added, ''This is unacceptable. Those responsible must be brought before the law.'' She also criticised the role of the Centre, taking aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that such incidents were being carried out under their watch. Though Ghosh did not name the constituency, she referred to the lathi-charge by forces on women and others at Falta and at Satgachhia assembly segments of the district. A senior EC official said security forces lathi-charged a group -- consisting of both men and women -- outside a booth in the Belsingh area of Falta following allegations of an attempt to influence voters. ''After repeated appeals to disperse, the forces took action to disperse the crowd and detained two persons in connection with the incident,'' the official said. Protesters, however, alleged that the security personnel carried out an unprovoked baton charge, injuring several women voters standing in a queue outside booth number 186. The TMC also claimed that a child accompanying his mother sustained head injuries in a case of similar atrocity by central forces in Satgachhia assembly segment in the district. The twin incidents come amid heightened political activity in the constituency, where special police observer Ajay Pal Sharma has been deployed to ensure free and fair polling. The EC official said that a report has been sought for both incidents, and if the child was found to be injured and the involvement of any security personnel was found, action will be taken. In an indirect remark on the same incident, TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra described the security forces as ''Amit Shah's army of butchers who don't stop at hurting even an innocent child during their atrocities on common people on voting day.'' In a press meet later in the day, TMC state general secretary and party's Beleghata candidate Kunal Ghosh said the high percentage of voting will result in the TMC getting 235 seats in the 294-member House. ''BJP will not get more than 50 seats despite using central forces and every machinery,'' Ghosh, also a spokesperson of TMC, said. Claiming one elderly voter died after being allegedly hit by a personnel of a central force using a lathi in front of a booth in Udaynarayanpur in Howrah, he said, ''The BJP declared war on the people of Bengal.'' ''Children and women were assaulted at Satgachhia and Falta and in many other places. Our party workers came under assault, and our camp offices were vandalised. Sensing imminent defeat as women spontaneously came out to support TMC candidates, the BJP unleashed central security forces who went berserk,'' Panja said.