Assembly election results 2021: Plea moved in SC against violence in Bengal

NGO Indic Collective Trust and BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia filed separate petitions in the top court

A plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday for a direction to deploy central forces and order a probe by a retired judge or the CBI into "political pogrom" and "institutionalised violence" raging in West Bengal after Assembly election results on May 2.

NGO Indic Collective Trust and BJP leader and senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia filed separate petitions in the top court.

Seeking a CBI probe, Bhatia cited media reports to claim the violence was directly sponsored by ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC) through its workers, who were seeking revenge against the citizenry of the state who exercised their democratic right to vote for a party other than TMC.

The BJP has claimed that at least half a dozen party workers and supporters, including a woman, were killed in attacks by the TMC. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC secured 213 seats in Assembly elections, but she herself lost in Nandigram. The BJP bagged 77 seats.

Read | Post-poll violence shakes Bengal; BJP to hold nationwide protest on May 5

Bhatia referred to "murder of one Avijit Sarkar" in Kolkata, stating that it was "proof enough to highlight as to how there is a great dance of democracy that is currently underway in West Bengal under the protection of TMC".

"Sarkar in a video uploaded on Facebook moments before his death highlighted how TMC workers not only ransacked his house and NGO, but also mercilessly killed voiceless puppies. Sarkar specifically blamed TMC leaders for the attack and eventual death," the plea claimed.

The NGO, on the other hand, claimed that miscreants and violent elements belonging to the victorious political party wreaked havoc and created a state of unrest by committing heinous offences of bombing, murder, gang rape, outraging modesty of women, arson, kidnapping, loot, vandalism and destruction of public property, after May 2.

"The current state of affairs in West Bengal is so dangerous and wrought with internal disturbance that urgent intervention by the top court and deployment of central forces is the need of the hour," the plea, settled by advocate J Sai Deepak and Suvidutt M S, stated.