This story is from May 10, 2021

Bengal: Ministry of home affairs team scans post-poll violence in Hooghly district

The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) team on Sunday visited places in Hooghly — first Chinsurah and later Dhaniakhali — to get a first-hand account of post-poll violence in the district.
Bengal: Ministry of home affairs team scans post-poll violence in Hooghly district
The central team interacts with villagers in Dhaniakhali on Sunday
HOOGHLY: The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) team on Sunday visited places in Hooghly — first Chinsurah and later Dhaniakhali — to get a first-hand account of post-poll violence in the district.
The team, led by MHA additional secretary Govind Mohan, had arrived in Kolkata on May 6 and met Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay at Nabanna the same day before starting their state tour.
They had visited parts of Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas and Falta, Satgachhia and Nodakhali in South and North 24 Parganas and also Birbhum on Saturday following reports of arson.
The team on Sunday talked to some villagers in Dhaniakhali, where houses had been torched, and noted their grievances.
On Friday, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee had visited Dhaniakhali to meet the local administration. Outside the BDO’s office, boombs were burst allegedly by a section of Trinamool Congress workers. Chatterjee had instantly called up the Union home minister’s office to complain about the incident. She further complained that many BJP workers, under attack by Trinamool goons, were on the run.
At Lokbati village, Md Ismail tod the visiting team that he was away from home as he had allegedly been beaten up and threatened with murder by Trinamool workers. He said he had worked for BJP during elections. Ismail claimed that several other BJP workers too had fled due to threats and their houses had been vandalised. The central team visited six houses in Lokbati and Madan Mohantala.
The members refused to share their views with media.

Trinamool described the central team’s tour as a “political visit”. Trinamool MLA and Dhaniakhali block president Ramendu Singha Ray said: “The visit was biased because they only visited houses of BJP workers. BJP workers killed a Trinamool supporter a few days ago and beat up several of our workers, but the team did not speak to any Trinamool worker who was assaulted.”
Hooghly district magistrate Deepap Priya said: “No meeting was held with the central team officials. They informed me through mail for security arrangements and it was arranged accordingly.”
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