KOLKATA — Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that an elderly man died after being assaulted by central forces personnel in Udaynarayanpur in Howrah district during the second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections.
In a post on X, Abhishek Banerjee criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of misusing central forces during the elections in West Bengal.
“Central Forces under (Home Minister) Amit Shah have become BJP’s private army — a gang of licensed thugs unleashed on the people of Bengal. In Udaynarayanpur, an elderly man went to cast his vote with his son. Too frail to walk unaided, his son tried to help him into the booth. Central Forces pushed and manhandled both. The old man collapsed, was rushed to Amta Hospital and was declared dead on arrival,” Banerjee said.
He claimed that since morning, when polling began, central forces had been terrorising people at polling booths.
“Since dawn, these Central Forces have been terrorising ordinary citizens — slapping women, assaulting the elderly, attacking even children. This is the Sitalkuchi mentality of 2021: cold-blooded, merciless violence against unarmed civilians. BJP paid a heavy price for the blood of innocents in 2021. They will pay an even heavier price in 2026,” he said.
The Trinamool Congress leader added: “And to the jallads roaming Bengal: it doesn’t matter which state you come from. It doesn’t matter whose political patronage shields you. Every single one of you involved in this barbarism will be hunted down and made to face the full force of the law. Your reign of terror will end in total ruin.”
Around 90 per cent polling was recorded till 5 p.m. across 142 constituencies in six districts, along with Kolkata, which went to polls in the second and final phase of the Assembly elections in the state.
The first phase of the polling was held earlier this month on April 23.
The counting of votes will be held on May 4. – IANS
