BJP delegation meets EC over Bhabanipur violence

New Delhi, Sep 28: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation met the Election Commission on Tuesday and sought a series of measures to ensure free and fair elections as it accused the Trinamool Congress of using violence against its supporters.

The delegation including Bhupender Yadav, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Anurag Thakur and Om Pathak demanded that strict against should be taken against culprits behind the ruckus on the final day of the Bhabanipur by-poll campaigning.

The BJP urged the EC to impose Section 144, a prohibitory order against gathering of five or more persons, on September 30, the polling date, and deployment of central forces for its compliance.

"We met EC and told them that polls & violence are synonyms to each other in WB. It seems that Didi &her workers have more faith in violence than polls. Attack on Dilip Ghosh shows that TMC & WB Govt consider violence to be democracy. We demand action," said Bhupender Yadav.

"We have told EC that they should take strict action, also take action against the officers concerned. EC has asked for a report from the State Govt. The Govt, in their report, said that they've arrested 8 people but we think that it's just an eyewash," he added.

"If 8 were arrested, the attack did take place. Mentality of TMC workers behind the attack is a misfortune for this nation's democracy. We also demanded from EC that they appoint micro-Observers. We submitted an audio digital CD of the entire incident," he further added.

BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh was allegedly manhandled while party MP Arjun Singh faced 'go back' slogans by ruling TMC workers while campaigning for party candidate Priyanka Tibrewal, who is pitted against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur assembly constituency in the city on the last day of campaigning on Monday.

Ghosh was allegedly pushed by TMC workers when he went inside a vaccination camp at Jodubabur Bazar area in the constituency, where by-poll will be held on September 30.

TMC in its turn alleged that Ghosh's bodyguard had brandished firearms to scare away the crowd.

TMC supporters present at the spot reportedly pushed Ghosh out and shouted slogans demanding that he leave alleging that he was campaigning at a state-run vaccination programme.

Ghosh was escorted out of the camp by his security personnel and left in his car. High drama marked the incident as a strong police force barricaded the area and slogan shouting TMC activists gathered nearby.

TMC leader Firhad Hakim, a close confidant of Banerjee accused BJP of provoking the people to create disturbances in the peaceful middle class neighbourhood.