Panchayat Polls: Political 'Holi' with human blood must stop, says Bengal Guv

Panchayat Polls: Political 'Holi' with human blood must stop, says Bengal Guv

IANS Photo

Kolkata, July 3 (IANS): West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose said on Monday that the ongoing political 'Holi' with human blood in the run-up to the July 8 panchayat polls must stop immediately.

“I repeat. This political 'Holi' with human blood has to end. Let me make my position very clear. I am visiting various places which have been hit by violence not as part of any ‘fault finding mission', but as part of ‘fact finding mission’. The fire which has already been enkindled should not be allowed to spread further.

"My field visits have convinced me that there have been incidents of violence in certain parts of the state. My concern is not who is responsible for it. My concern is how the innocent people are becoming victims of this violence,” the Governor said after meeting Manoara Piyada, the daughter of slain Trinamool Congress leader Jiyarul Molla who was allegedly killed by his own party colleagues on Sunday.

Manoara Piyada, who herself is a Trinamool candidate for the forthcoming panchayat elections, has claimed that she has no faith in state police and wants a CBI probe into the matter. She has also entrusted faith in the Governor.

Bose said that he has already gathered information of gang leaders involved in violence.

"But for the sake of propriety, I am unable to disclose the names right now. First I will inform the competent authorities with the hope that they take necessary actions. I will wait for 48 hours. This is the ultimatum. Based on the quality of decision-making, I will give my report card to my masters who are the people of West Bengal. I have a commitment to them, which stems from the Constitution,” Bose said.

After meeting the Governor, Manoara Piyada told mediapersons that her father was associated with the youth wing of Trinamool and he was assassinated by his own party colleagues consisting of old-timers.

“At one point of time, my father even wanted to disassociate himself from politics. Yet he was murdered,” she said.