WB poll violence over, tremors continue

KOLKATA: Cops from Patuli police station were reportedly searching for Sumit Dutta, one of the accused named in the FIR for allegedly attacking his own uncle Sujan Dutta, a CPM cadre in Baghajatin area on May 1, a day after the assembly polls in south Kolkata. But the fact is that Sumit, a 36 year old youth and a Trinamool Congress activist was staying at Baghajatin G block at his maternal uncle's house, a stone's throw from a police picket. Sumit was even seen passing the picket in a motorbike before he surrendered at Patuli police station, locals confirmed on Wednesday. With Sumit getting a bail along with 15 other Trinamool workers, residents of the area and CPM activists in particular now feel threatened.

"I was badly beaten up by a gang of ruling party hooligans. They would have killed me had not my wife stood as a rock in front. My fault was that as a CPM election agent I was successful in resisting the ruling party hooligans including Sumit who were creating ruckus inside Mahamaya pathshala polling centre in Baghajatin," Sujan Dutta said. However, the danger is far from over, Dutta felt. "With the members of Trinamool action squad roaming free in the area after getting bail and issuing open threat to the CPM cadres, we feel extremely insecure," said Kamal Kumar Majumdar, a CPM cadre in the neighbourhood whose house was ransacked allegedly by a group of ruling party activists a day after the polling. Majumdar who was hit by a bamboo stick from behind saved his life by entering the house of a neighbor. "It was a narrow escape for me. I somehow escaped the jaws of death. But desperate to teach us a lesson the ruling party goons are devising a plan to launch a fresh attack anytime," he said. Asked a police picket posted in front of his house close to local councilor Bappaditya Dasgupta's ward office would be of help to him, Majumdar answered in the negative. "I have no faith in the police. In fact, I was beaten mercilessly on May 1 in front of a whole police force. Police would act according to whims of the local Trinamool Congress councilor," Majumdar fumed. "I have accompanying my 15 year old son to school. He is frightened to think over the poll results. If Trinamool sweeps the polls, we will have to seek refuge elsewhere," Ruma Majumdar wife of Kamal Majumdar said.

In fact, few residents of Phoolbagan Road where Majumdar was assaulted in front of his house, would like to believe that police would extend a helping hand to them after the CM's observation on police activism. Take the case of Gouranga Saha, a septuagenarian and a secretary of CPM zonal committee (Baghajatin) on Tuesday was reminded that what the CPM party members on May 1 saw was just the trailer, they would be invited to watch the movie on May 19, the date scheduled for assembly polls results. However, all are not afraid. Krishna Kar, owner of a fast food shop at Phoolbagan Road vowed to resist any attacks at all costs. "The Trinamool goons damaged my shop as our family was targeted for voting against the ruling party. Come may what, we will not down our shutters and will resist any attempts to do further damage to our shop," she said.

Bappaditya Dasgupta, the local councilor and president of Trinamool Congress in Baghajatin local unit however, put the blame on the CPM cadres for creating trouble in the apparent tension-free area. "It was the CPM party cadres who had started the trouble by attacking our party workers. They had retaliated," Dasgupta said.