Bengal panchayat poll violence carried out as per instructions of Mamata: Anurag Thakur

Anurag Thakur alleged that violence in West Bengal during the recently concluded panchayat elections was carried out by TMC activists as per instructions of Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on July 29 alleged that violence in West Bengal during the recently concluded panchayat elections was carried out by TMC activists as per instructions of Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee.

Mr. Thakur, who is in Kolkata to felicitate BJP's winning candidates in the rural polls, also claimed that over 57 people have been killed in clashes during the panchayat elections.

He claimed that the BJP has doubled the number of seats in the rural polls as compared to the previous elections and the result is an indication that Ms. Banerjee's "days at the helm of things are numbered".

EDITORIAL | Alarm bells: on the violence in the West Bengal panchayat elections

"I would like to say that in the recently concluded panchayat polls, over 57 people have been killed. To fulfil Mamata Banerjee's wishes, people were killed. The entire law and order in West Bengal is in shambles. Mamata didi, your party leaders under your instruction restored to hooliganism [during this panchayat polls]," Mr. Thakur told reporters in Kolkata.

The BJP leader alleged that Ms. Banerjee, for the last 8-9 years, has been giving shelter to hooligans and criminals for her political benefit.

"Compared to the last [rural] elections, this time the BJP has doubled the number of seats. This shows that people have started fighting back. Results show that Mamata Banerjee's days here are slowly heading to an end," Mr. Thakur said.