POST-POLL VIOLENCE

1 killed in clash : Trinamul calls bandh, CPM lifts

Following death of a Trinamul Congress supporter in a post-poll clash that occurred last night at Ghoksadanga in Mathabhanga, the party called a 12-hour strike at Mathabhanga sub-division in Cooch Behar tomorrow.

State Trinamul Congress secretary Mr Abdul Jalil Ahmed alleged that armed CPI-M supporters dragged out their supporters from the local Trinamul Congress office and beaten up them last night. As a result of fatal injury on his head, one Hafizul Mian (33) died at MJN Hospital this morning. Several other injured men are also undergoing medical care in the hospital, Mr Ahmed said.

Refuting the allegation, District CPI-M secretary Mr Chandi Pal claimed that at first the Trinamul activists attacked the local CPI-M office at Ghoksadanga and tried to abduct a few supporters. In the attack several CPI-M supporters have been wounded.

Cooch Behar SP, Mr DP Singh said the clash occurred between two rival groups following altercations over election results last night at Station Road of Ghoksadanga, as the offices of the CPI-M and Trinamul Congress exist there at close vicinity of one another. Several persons belonging to both groups received injuries. One Trinamul supporter succumbed to his injuries and five CPI-M men and five Trinamul Congress men are still under treatment at MJN Hospital in Cooch Behar. Police took adequate measures to maintain peace in the area, the SP added.

District Trinamul Congress vice-president Mr Niranjan Dutta said they staged roadblocks at different areas of Ghoksadanga and Mathabhanga today demanding immediate arrest of the CPI-M men who attacked the Trinamul supporters last night and killed one. "Tomorrow, we will observe a 12-hour bandh in entire Mathabhanga sub-division against CPI-M sponsored hooliganism", Mr Dutta said.

On the otherhand, the Left Front has lifted its Cooch Behar-I block bandh that was scheduled to take place today. "As the SP said us that they arrested 33 persons and are taking steps against the offenders we decided to call off the strike in the interest of general public", the district Left Front convenor Mr Chandi Pal said. The Left Front had called the bandh against attack on CPI-M and Forward Bloc supporters by Trinamul activists at Suktabari on Saturday afternoon.