THE irony is stark: West Bengal has been rocked by bloodshed just days after the end of the Assembly elections, which remarkably did not witness any major incident of violence. The shocking murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, has escalated tensions between the saffron party and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Adhikari, a top contender for the CM’s post, has claimed that Rath was shot dead because of his association with him; according to the victim’s mother, the killing was an act of vengeance following Mamata Banerjee’s Bhabanipur loss to Adhikari. Post-poll attacks have also claimed the lives of Abir Sheikh and Biswajit Pattanaik, both TMC workers, and two BJP supporters, Madhu Mondal and Jadhav Bor.
The battle lines have hardened in the wake of the saffron party’s resounding victory, which ended the TMC’s 15-year-long rule. Upping the ante against the Election Commission of India (ECI), Mamata has not only rejected the poll verdict but also refused to step down as CM. Her defiance has emboldened some of her supporters to vent their anger on the victors. The BJP, in turn, is struggling to rein in its workers, who are using violent means to settle scores with the TMC.
It’s unpardonable that clashes are taking place despite the ECI’s directives to the state authorities regarding restrictions on victory processions. The police and Central forces must work in close coordination to restore law and order. Vigil should be intensified across the state, especially in sensitive districts. Those responsible for the killings and vandalism must be identified and arrested without any delay. A crackdown on miscreants, irrespective of their political affiliation, is the need of the hour. Leaders of both parties must desist from inciting their workers. Bengal, which has a long history of electoral violence, direly needs to turn over a new leaf.
