TMC leaders spark controversies, SEC seeks report

A day after a Trinamool district president allegedly asked party men to attack the police with bombs and burn houses of Independent candidates, a TMC member of Parliament on Thursday asked party activists to "beat up Communist Party of India-Marxist workers with shoes".

Taking cognisance of the incidents, the state election commission has sought a report from the Birbhum district magistrate and superintendent of police on the controversial comments made by Anubrata Mondal, the Trinamool district president.

"We have asked the DM and SP of Birbhum district to submit a report on the Anubrata Mondal's purported remarks," State Election Commissioner Mira Pandey told PTI.

Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnagar Tapas Pal told a rally during the day at Tehatta in Nadia district, "I am Tapas Pal. I am a member of Parliament. I am basically a soldier of the Trinamool Congress. Become soldiers of the TMC. Beat up CPI-M cadres with shoes the moment you find them.

He also alleged that CPI-M cadre had raped women during the land movement in Nandigram. Meanwhile, an Independent candidate Rabilal Soren was kidnapped and his house set on fire last night at Gopalpur village near Kasba under Bolpur subdivision in Birbhum district, police sources said.

The candidate's wife, Radhi Soren, claimed that the house was set on fire at midnight on Wednesday night and her husband, a TMC supported Independent candidate, kidnapped. A complaint was filed at the Panrui police station in this regard. TMC MP Satabdi Roy sought to distance the party from Mondal's comments.

"I think that it is personal opinion and not of the party. I can never support such comments of throwing bombs on the police and setting fire to houses (of independent candidates)," she said.

She said that TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee would take a decision on it. Meanwhile, the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, in a letter to the SEC, demanded Mondal's arrest.

"We request you to instruct the district police who are under your control, to arrest him for publicly inciting party workers to indulge in violence," the party urged state Election Commissioner Mira Pandey.

However, Mondal during a press-meet in Bolpur at the party office during the day, said, "I did not intend to ask party men to hurl bombs on the police. It was a slip of the tongue."

Mondal, who had allegedly made the comments in Kasba village in Bolpur sub-division on Wednesday, denied involvement of his party in the kidnap and setting ablaze the house of the Independent candidate.