Poll officials attacked by TMC men in Bengal

Malda: Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has kicked up another row in the middle of campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, with party activists allegedly slapping Election Commission officials who were monitoring a bikers' rally at Manikchak in Malda district. Taking a serious note of the incident, the Election Commission has sought a report on it from the Malda district administration, and has directed it to take serious action against the culprits. An FIR has been registered in the case. Later, two persons were arrested.

The Election Commission officials were allegedly manhandled in the presence of West Bengal Women and Child Welfare Minister Sabitri Mitra and the party's south Malda candidate Mouzzen Hossen, who refused to intervene. The incident occurred around noon, when about 200 Trinamool Congress activists took out a motor-cycle rally in support of Mr Hossen. As the rally reached Manikchak, the bikers were spotted by a vehicle transporting three Election Commission officials. They stopped their vehicle, and asked the bikers whether they had taken permission for their rally. An argument ensued, and ended with the Trinamool Congress activists pushing around two of the officials, and even going to the extent of slapping them.

Criticising Modi as a person with 'blood on his hands', an apparent reference to 2002 riots in Gujarat, Trinamool Congress said he was "daydreaming" of becoming the next PM but the people would not allow such a 'nightmare'. "Narendra Modi is a person who has blood on his hands. He is trying to divide India on the basis of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists. We don't want such an India, we want a united India," Trinamool Congress MP and party spokesman Derek O' Brien said.