Stopping candidates from filing nomination is not Bengal's

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Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal today said stopping a candidate from filing nomination for Panchayat polls in West Bengal was against the spirit of democracy and not part of Bengal's culture.

Meghwal, the Minister of State for Water Resources, was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an Indian Museum programme here.

When asked about the recent incidents of violence surrounding the filing of nominations of Panchayat polls in the state, Meghwal said it went against the spirit of democracy and did not gel with the culture of Bengal.

"Whatever is happening related to Panchayat elections in Bengal is not proper for democratic traditions, there should not be any violence during or in the run-up to polls," he said.

He said every election -- be it Panchayat, Corporation, Municipalty, Assembly or Lok Sabha -- should be held in a peaceful manner.

Asked if the state government was being able to conduct the Panchayat polls peacefully, Meghwal said, "How can we say the state government is able to cope with the situation, going by the images we see and informaion we get?"