Kolkata: The BJP has accused West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of breaking tubewells and snapping water lines in three localities of West Burdwan and Birbhum districts soon after the Lok Sabha poll results. Acting like sore losers the TMC workers have tried to teach a lesson to the locals who had voted for the saffron outfit.
According to the BJP leadership in Kalua gram panchayat, the tubewells were damaged after they got more votes in the Kanakpur polling booth of Birbhum Lok Sabha constituency. “All tubewells in the village have been damaged, because BJP has done well,” said local BJP worker Laltu Mondal. In protest the villagers gheraoed the house of local panchayat member of the TMC, Panchanan Das.
Das denied his party’s hand in damaging the tubewells, but promised to repair them. “Nobody can say that Trinamool, or a panchayat member, or some other local club has done all this. BJP has won. It is trying to put the blame on us,” Das alleged. The tubewells were later repaired.
A similar incident happened in Let Para of Badha village under Rampurhat block. BJP workers alleged that TMC workers broke five-six tubewells after saffron outfit’s candidate Dudh Kumar Mondal took lead in the area.
“Since BJP had got more votes, the ruling party workers damaged five-six tubewells and snapped drinking water lines,” said local BJP worker Durjodhan Mondal.
TMC member of Badha panchayat Shaymali Mondal said she was not aware who the culprits were. However, the plumbers were called and the tubewells, as also the water lines, repaired.
A third such incident was reported from ward number 30 of Durgapur Municipal Corporation under West Burdwan district. Locals found 10 public taps, from which water is supplied at specific timings daily, had been damaged, sources said.
The development triggered tension, leading to a political blame game between the BJP and the TMC. BJP candidate SS Ahluwalia has won the Burdwan-Durgapur Lok Sabha constituency seat.
IANS