By IANS,
Kolkata : Accusing the Trinamool Congress government of inaction in tackling the “deteriorating” law and order situation ahead of the panchayat polls in West Bengal, the Left Front Monday met Governor M.K. Narayanan seeking his intervention in the matter.
“We wanted to draw the attention of the governor on the present law and order situation of the state. The state government is not acting against those who are disturbing law and order situation,” Front chairman Biman Bose said.
Alleging widespread violence perpetrated by the ruling party, he said it was imperative for the governor to intervene.
“In the current scenario if there is no active intervention from the governor ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections, then the panchayat polls will be a farce,” said Bose.
Bose also criticised state Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee who earlier in the day had dubbed the instances of violence as a “routine affair during polls”.
“We are an extremely responsible party. But if our law abiding attitude is treated as our weakness, we might have to take other routes,” he warned.
Bose also complained of the Front being repeatedly denied government permission to hold programmes on the venue of its choice and threatened to hit the streets if the situation remained the same.
Following a bitter legal battle, the commission and the state government had concurred on the schedule of the three-phase elections for 17 districts to be held July 2, 6 and 9.
The revised poll schedule was announced by the government in the month of May following a direction of the Calcutta High Court to conduct and conclude the polls before July 15.