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Ahead of panchayat polls, 75-yr-old CPIM leader attacked in WB

Basudeb Acharia was accompanying other CPI-M workers to file their nominations in panchayat polls when they were attacked.

Purulia (West Bengal): Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers in West Bengal's Purulia district allegedly launched a scathing attack on veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Basudeb Acharia on Friday over filing nominations for panchayat polls scheduled in early May.

West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that one of their leaders was also attacked in Bankura when he arrived at the District Magistrate's office to file a complaint against recurring violence to stop opposition party candidates from filing nominations.

Basudeb Acharia was accompanying other CPI-M workers to file their nominations in Kashipur when they were attacked.

Acharia, 75, was indiscriminately thrown to the ground and bashed with sticks, following which he had to be admitted to the intensive care unit.

The incident also found several other CPI-M leaders and workers injured, all of whom are undergoing treatment.

The CPI-M condemned the attack on twitter, saying,"Widespread attacks by TMC goons on our comrades in Bengal. Today Comrade Basudeb Acharia, 9 times former MP was attacked today and had to be hospitalized. Protest and Resist! Save Democracy!"

Sporadic violence has marked the political horizon of Bengal over filing nominations to 60,000 panchayat seats that will go for elections on 1,3 and 5 May.

All major opposition parties have complained that the ruling TMC is not allowing their candidates to file nominations.

Attackers with faces covered by helmets and scarves also attacked a BJP leader's vehicle on Friday.

They smashed the rear windshield, took him out of the vehicle and beat him up.

TMC has, however, denied all charges.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders sat on a dharna at the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road in Kolkata while the CPI-M is on a sit-in protest at the state election commission office.

( Source : deccan chronicle )
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