Tensions high in West Bengal after BJP aide shot dead and hundreds arrested | India
Tensions were high in the Indian state of West Bengal after a senior political aide from Narendra Modi’s party was shot dead in the street and hundreds of people were arrested in violence following this week’s elections.
The Prime Minister’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) claimed victory in the West Bengal elections on Monday, defeating the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had ruled the state legislature for 15 years.
After the results were announced, there was chaos in the country. TMC figures, including leader Mamata Banerjee, said there were widespread irregularities in the voting and accused the BJP of “looting” the election. Banerjee said she would refuse to resign, stating that she was “not defeated”.
Late on Wednesday evening, Chandranath Rath, an aide to West Bengal BJP president Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead by motorcycle-borne gunmen on the streets of the state capital Kolkata. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Adhikari, who is front-runner to become the state’s next chief minister, told reporters that the BJP was “shocked, pained and hurt” by the incident and claimed that the murder took place “because I defeated Mamata”.
He said police believed the killing was “a pre-planned and cold-blooded murder carried out after a lapse of two to three days.”
TMC denied any involvement in the murder and called for an independent investigation. The statement said, “Violence and political murders have no place in democracies and criminals must be held accountable as soon as possible.”
Rath was one of three people killed in violence that has erupted in West Bengal since Monday. The state’s police chief Siddh Nath Gupta said more than 200 criminal cases were registered and 433 people were arrested for involvement in post-election violence.
TMC workers accused the BJP of setting fire to party offices and bulldozing one of its offices in Kolkata. The BJP denied the allegations.
Post-election violence is not uncommon in West Bengal and dates back decades to when the state was under communist rule. But recent elections have proven particularly controversial after the government carried out a special overhaul of the voter rolls to purge “illegal” voters. This process resulted in millions of people, mostly Muslims or minorities, losing their right to vote just before the election.
During the April vote, India’s election commission ordered the deployment of an unprecedented number of police and paramilitary forces to the state to ensure security. This distribution will remain in effect for the next 60 days.
The BJP’s victory in West Bengal was seen as a significant political coup for the Hindu nationalist party; has secured control over the east of the country, ensuring that it now rules over 70% of the country at the state level.
Banerjee’s refusal to step aside threatens to spark an unprecedented constitutional crisis. It was reported that his party was considering challenging the election results in the high court.
Despite TMC’s objections, Adhikari said the new West Bengal state government, including the next chief minister, will be sworn in by Saturday.
