15 dead in West Bengal as Trinamool takes on BJP post poll
11 Jun 2019
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At least 15 people have so far been killed in West Bengal after a bomb on Monday claimed two more lives as post-election violence escalated with workers of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress clashed with supporters of the Bhartiya Janatha Party.
The violence followed the elections to Parliament in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 18 of the 42 seats in the state, despite a tough fight from the regional Trinamool Congress party, led by firebrand Mamata Banerjee.
As political unrest continued in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday said it will observe a black day in the state on Monday. On Sunday they also burnt the effigy of chief minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee
The BJP said it will observe black day after its party workers were stopped by the state police in North 24 Parganas district. The BJP workers were taking the remains of the deceased party workers, who died on Saturday's clashes, to the party office in Kolkata before being stopped by the state police in North 24 Parganas and a face-off ensued.
The deaths took place on Saturday during a clash between Trinamool Congress and BJP workers of the two parties in the North 24 Parganas.
Since 23 May, when election results were announced, at least 15 people have been killed, police sources said.
On Sunday, union home minister Amit Shah issued an advisory to the West Bengal government, expressing “deep concern” over the violence. The centre also sought a report on the escalating violence.
The BJP, which had so far been a non-entity in West Bengal’s politics, said its workers had been continuously targeted by Banerjee’s party.
“Trinamool is losing, they have lost the people’s favour and they are trying to retain power through violence,” Reuters quoted BJP state president Dilip Ghosh as saying.
West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, speaking exclusively to India Today TV on Monday, said he has apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah about the prevailing situation in the state, where post poll violence has claimed nearly a dozen lives so far.
