Kolkata: Left Front chairman Biman Bose on Tuesday alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress was using brute force to prevent opposition candidates from filing nominations for the panchayat elections or making them withdraw.
"Participatory democracy cannot exist if opposition candidates are forced to withdraw or not file nomination," Bose said at a press conference following a Left Front meeting which discussed the prevailing situation in the state prior to the three-phase rural polls beginning on July two.
Stating that the Left Front has decided not to allow the panchayat polls to be turned into a farce, Bose said a Front delegation would meet Governor M K Narayanan and submit a memorandum.
"What is the Governor doing given the situation created in the state? We will go to him and submit a memorandum," he said, alleging that anarchy was prevailing in the state.
Alleging that the State Election Commission has not been able to prevent such a situation, the Front chairman threatened to hold a demonstration before its office.
Condemning the brutal gang-rape and murder of a college girl student at Barasat last week, Bose said "We have the first woman chief minister in the state, but despite having a woman at the head of the government, such crimes are being perpetrated with impunity.
"Has the government taken such incidents for granted?" he asked, adding that no one from the government has expressed any regret or condemned it.
Bose said that Left women`s organisations would hold a protest programme on June 13.
PTI
