The Election Commission of India has instructed the West Bengal Police to apprehend all individuals involved in the violent confrontations between Trinamool Congress and BJP workers in Jagatdal, North 24 Parganas district. The clashes, which occurred late Sunday night, resulted in injuries to several individuals, including a Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) jawan. The Commission has requested a detailed report from the police regarding the incident.
Following the altercation between Trinamool Congress and BJP candidates in Jagatdal, the BJP candidate from Noapara and former Lok Sabha member from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh, visited the Jagatdal police station to lodge a complaint. Tensions escalated as over 200 Trinamool Congress supporters gathered outside the station, leading to a confrontation and subsequent clashes between the two groups.
The violent clashes involved the use of firearms and crude bombs, resulting in injuries to the CAPF jawan. Subsequently, a significant combined force of CAPF and Barrackpore Police Commissariat was deployed to restore order. Four individuals, namely Kaushik Das, Sikandar Prasad, Gopal Raut, and Shyamdev Shaw, have been arrested in connection with the incident.
While some individuals allegedly involved in the clashes remain at large, the Commission has instructed the police to swiftly locate and apprehend them. Additionally, the ECI has mandated continuous patrolling by state police and CAPF in the area. The upcoming second phase of polling on April 29 will cover 142 Assembly constituencies across six districts, including North 24 Parganas and Kolkata, with results scheduled for May 4.
