Centre seeks Bengal poll violence report again

The Central government on Wednesday again sought a report from the West Bengal government over the violence during panchayat elections in the state earlier this week that left at least 10 dead.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government in view of the violence during panchayat elections," a senior Home Ministry official said.

More than 50 people were also injured on Monday in the violence during the three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions' elections in West Bengal.

The Ministry sought the report again after the West Bengal government submitted a "sketchy" report on Tuesday in response to its first query sent on Monday.

A youth was beaten to death as he tried to enter polling premises in Nadia district, while a Trinamool Congress (TMC) activist was shot dead in South 24 Parganas district's Kultali in West Bengal.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) had on Monday claimed that one of their activists was killed in a bomb attack in North 24 Parganas district's Amdanga.

Three deaths were reported from Murshidabad, while two were killed in East Midnapore's Nandigram. Two persons lost their lives in Nadia and North Dinajpur districts.

More than 60,000 armed personnel from West Bengal and neighbouring states were deployed for the panchayat polls. As many as 80,000 civic volunteers were also deployed to guard the polling centres.

--IANS

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