West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose has strongly condemned widespread violence during the ongoing panchayat elections in the state, labeling the incidents as a stain on the democratic system.
As voting commenced early Saturday morning, the Governor visited various violence-affected areas including North 24 Parganas and Nadia, where an assassination incident occurred.
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Speaking to the media in Kadambagachi, North 24 Parganas district, the Governor stated: “Since the morning, I have been notified of several clashes and instances of violence. There have been gun battles and bloodshed.”
“I will provide further updates at a later stage. What is happening is a disgrace to the democratic setup, where ordinary citizens are unable to exercise their voting rights without fear. However, I still urge the people to come out and exercise their rights,” he said.
Seven fatalities have been reported since the start of the voting. Two deaths each were recorded in Murshidabad and East Burdwan, while one each occurred in Nadia, Cooch Behar, and Malda.
The overall death toll since the beginning of polling on June 8 has now reached 13 on Saturday. The Panchayat polling in West Bengal began this morning under tight security measures.
Since the announcement of election dates, the state has been plagued by violence. Incidents of violence were reported during the nomination filing period, and similar incidents have occurred since then.
