Kolkata: The high-decibel campaigning for the fifth phase of the ongoing West Bengal Assembly elections concluded at 6 pm on Wednesday, as leaders of the political parties taking part in the high-stakes polls left no stone unturned to woo the voters of the state.
Election Commission (EC) on Saturday had decided that the silence period for the fifth phase shall be extended to 72 hours following a violent incident in Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar district where four people were killed after security personnel opened fire, which became a major topic of the phase V campaigning process.
Campaigns ahead of the upcoming phase were marked by the divisive reactions on the EC imposing a ban on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from election campaigning for 24 hours on Monday due to her 'highly insinuating and provocative remarks'. While some leaders like Samajwadi Party's (SP) Akhilesh Yadav and National Congress Party's (NCP) Nawab Malik condemned the ban, BJP leaders such as G Kishan Reddy and Zafar Islam supported the decision and said she must be held responsible for the incident.
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The EC also banned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Rahul Sinha for 48 hours on Tuesday for his remarks on the Sitalkuchi violence, while issuing notices to Dilip Ghosh and Suvendu Adhikari.
To protest against the unconstitutional ban, Banerjee sat on dharna in Kolkata's Gandhi Murti on Tuesday. After her ban, Banerjee lashed out at the BJP for using central agencies to stop her and blamed it as Home Minister Amit Shah's incompetence for the rising COVID-19 infections in the country.
The intense campaigning reached its peak today as Banerjee, BJP's national president JP Nadda and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi entered the fray. Banerjee, who met the family members of the deceased in the Sitalkuchi violence, said the culprits will be punished no matter who they are.
"The culprits will be punished no matter how big they are. Justice will be done. After the election, five statutes will be made in the memory of the deceased. I appeal to you to consider me as a daughter of your home. On the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, I pray for the victory of guards of democracy over the murderers of democracy," she said while addressing a gathering in Mathabhanga.
Meanwhile, Gandhi lashed out at the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing them of intensifying hatred among people wherever they go.
"People of Assam say their history and culture are being attacked. Tamil Nadu and Bengal are facing the same thing. Wherever BJP, RSS go, hatred starts to intensify there," said Gandhi at a rally in Darjeeling, while hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
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"Narendra Modi said 'bhaio-bheno', beat thaali and corona will go. He said ghanti bajaao. After that, he asked people to take out their mobile phones and switch on flashlights. This man is the PM of India. Rather than helping labourers, he asked them to ring bells," the Congress leader further said.
Meanwhile, Nadda remarked that the Trinamool Congress' (TMC) has exposed its anti-Dalits face and this should be understood by the people and the party should be cast out of the state in the ongoing elections.
"However, while we salute Ambedkar, I also feel the anti-Dalit feelings by Mamata didi. This is unfortunate even after several years of independence. Just now, a TMC leader used a word for our Dalit brothers. I cannot use the word at this stage. She said that Dalits always keep asking," said Nadda at a public gathering in Mangalkot.
"I feel sad that Mamata di, who has been the Chief Minister for 10 years, has not spoken a word to condemn this. This is TMC's anti-Dalit face that we should understand," he added.