Kolkata May 24 (IANS) The CPI's West Bengal state secretary Prabodh Panda on Tuesday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of practising "politics of elimination" against the backdrop of widespread post-poll violence allegedly perpetrated by the Mamata Banerjee-led party.
The veteran Communist Party of India (CPI) leader said the growing number of incidents of post-poll violence proves the Trinamool did not believe in democracy as the violence has increased manifold in the post-election period.
"A boy was hit with shoes and then was asked to rub off her mother's 'sindoor' (vermilion marking the hair parting of a married Hindu woman) with that shoe. A pregnant woman was mercilessly kicked which killed the foetus in her womb," Panda said recounting the "brutality" of Trinamool Congress activists.
"They are practising the politics of elimination. It seems their objective is not only to defeat the opposition in the polls but to also to forcefully eradicate any contradictory political view," he said.
He further blamed the Trinamool for attacking opposition parties' offices, houses of opposition leaders, and snapping electricity and water supplies.
"People are being forced to pay fines. Opposition workers and supporters are facing boycott," he said.
"Barbaric violence is being carried out by them," added Panda.
CPI deputy general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta said the state was in crisis because of the post-poll violence.
"There is a crisis in the state. We had thought after its victory it would behave in a mroe responsible way, but it seems Trinamool has not changed a bit.
"There is a need for the Left Front and other democratic forces to come together to build up a protest movement against the violence perpetrated by the Trinamool," he added.
All India Trade Union Congress leader Himanshu Das alleged that Trinamool's labour arm Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress activists in power utility CESC were trying to force members of CITU and AITUC to join their fold.
"Those owing allegiance to CITU and AITUC were being threatened they would not be allowed to enter the office if they do not join the INTTUC. It is unthinkable that such incidents are happening in a city like Kolkata," he said.
