WEST BENGAL
Violent outbreak during the fifth phase of election in West Bengal has been reported. The Editor’s Guild has written to the EC wanting a probe into the incidences.
Kabir | The New Leam
During the fifth phase of elections on May 6th, journalists were attacked at various places in West Bengal. Incidences of violence, attacks on journalists and damage to vehicles were reported from the state.
Elections were held for seven seats of the Lok Sabha Assembly 2019 in West Bengal on Monday. The fifth phase of the election took place in Bongaon (SC), Barrackpur, Howrah, Uluberia, Serampore, Hooghly and Arambagh (SC) constituencies.
A total of 83 candidates belonging to Trinamool Congress Party (TMC), Congress Party and the Bhartiye Janta Party are contesting this time.
A case of violence was reported in Barrackpur constituency where the vehicle of the BJP leader Arjun Singh was attacked. In the fight two journalists from the Indian Express were attacked who later on survived serious injuries.
Eye witnesses stated that journalists were stone pelted and further were beaten up with Lathis. Their cars were attacked with bricks and their belongings were brutally damaged in the violence.
The BJP candidate Arjun Singh who is contesting from Barrackpur constituency in West Bengal gave a statement saying that TMC workers threatened to attack him with bomb if he did not leave the constituency.
This was not the first time when the leader was involved in a scuffle with the local public. In another incident at Mohanpur he got indulged in a fight with the party workers when he was allegedly denied entry at the polling booth. He alleged that the TMC workers did not let the people of Mohanpur constituency vote properly.
Reports of violence also came from Bangoan district where the police forces were attacked with bombs in which few policemen and TMC workers were injured. Polling was stopped for a brief period at Dhanekhali area in Hooghly district when the BJP candidate of that constituency Locket Chatterjee alleged that votes were rigged at the pooling booth. She further accused the police forces and the presiding officer for supporting the act but later on it was reported that voting took place fairly and further polling was restored.
The journalist who survived major injuries in the attack stated that there was no police personnel present at the time of attack in Barrackpore.
Editors Guild, the journalist body in India have strongly condemned the attack and asked the Election Commission of India to take strict actions against the perpetrators of violence.
In their statement released by the Editors Guild to the Election Commission of India (ECI) the guild has stated that “Journalists from NewsX, ABP Ananda and Zee News were attacked, allegedly by Trinamool Congress workers. Physical attacks against journalists are always reprehensible, but particularly so during elections as they undermine fair media scrutiny of an election. The Guild urges the Election Commission of India to initiate necessary action against those who indulged in physical violence against journalists and asks the TMC-led West Bengal government to ensure law and order in the state so that journalists are not attacked by political parties and they can perform their professional duties safely.”
The guild has asked the ECI to take immediate actions against such kind of activities as the media is not responsible for the verdict and it merely reports the situation for the general public.
