Polling staff turn voters in Habibpur

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 30: Polling staff did the job for voters by casting their votes in Habibpur village, the DM said. Barring stray incidents, polling in Malda district ended peacefully, said DM Mr Sridhar Ghosh, adding that “the voter turnout was recorded around 75 per cent up to 5 pm”.

Voters boycotted poll in nine booths at Manikchak (Bhutni Diara Island). A few people (9 to 10) cast votes in three booths at Bhutni Diara where a vote boycott had been called.

At Khempur in Chanchal where a vote boycott had been called a section of voters cast their votes. This enraged non-conformists who attacked a group of voters. Police had to lathicharge to maintain law and order.

Election officials had to replace seven EVMs due to technical problem. Though candidates have not lodged any complaint with the DM directly, the CPI-M district secretary has lodged seven complaints while Congress leader Mr Asit Bose lodged complaints over the phone with the DM.

At Chandmoni in Ratua, two Congress agents clashed with each other, the DM said. At Naldahari primary school near Golapganj in Kaliachak III, election officials sought escort after completion of polls as there was a tension following a political clash. Election officials locked the strongroom so that they cannot snatch EVMs.

Polling station no 111 in the Sujapur Assembly segment was shifted as directed by the Commission following a complaint. The CPI-M demanded re-polling in two polling stations (no 75 and 75A) in the Sujapur Assembly segment. The DM said: “We will take a decision after going through a micro observer's report and presiding officer's diary."

Police had to fire a few rounds in air in North Malda’s Chanchal to disperse agitating voters who demanded that they be allowed to vote after 5 pm.

Attack on CPM dist committee member

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 30: The CPI-M district secretariat committee member Mr Ambar Mitra claims to have been attacked by a group of Congress workers at Mirjapur More in Malda police station area early today, around 1.30 am.

Mr Mitra, who is also an election agent of Mr Sailen Sarkar, the CPI-M candidate for the North Malda parliamentary seat, said: “When I was returning from Old Malda Assembly constituency, a gang of 40 Congress workers attacked our vehicle. They tried to kill me, dragging me out of the vehicle and snatching the key of the vehicle from the driver. We managed to escape after fighting for at least 10 minutes.”

The injured CPI-M leader, Mr Mitra, got first aid from a district hospital and lodged a complaint against one Mr Mangal Sheikh, a resident of ward no 1 of Old Malda Municipality, and his associates. Police have yet to arrest the accused.

“Fearing their candidates' defeat, Congress workers are trying to attack CPI-M leaders out of frustration. The Malda MP Mr A H Khan Choudhury, contesting candidate for the South Malda Parliamentary seat, yesterday faxed a message to the Election Commission advising that they delay the election. I think he acted out of frustration,” Mr Ambar Mitra said.

“I came to know of the alleged murder attempt when I asked Mr Mitra about his forehead bandage this morning. I condemned the reported incident. If any Congress workers attacked him, police would take proper action. CPI-M workers are trying to capture booths, jamming and threatening our Congress supporters in many areas, such as Majampur in Kaliachak I block,” said Mr Krishnendu Choudhury, the English Bazaar Congress MLA.

The Malda Congress MP, Mr AH Khan Choudhury, faxed a message to the Election Commission demanding more Central paramilitary forces.

“He claimed in the fax that the district administrative officials did not provide Central forces based on the list of sensitive booths submitted to them. The fax also advocated that the election be put on hold in South Malda Parliamentary constituency until Central forces are supplied in all polling stations,” said Mr Krishnendu Choudhury.

“In many sensitive booths, the district election officials deployed state police and home guards where the CPI-M has already ‘captured’ polling stations yesterday night,” Mr Choudhury added.

The English Bazaar MLA and the Malda MP met the district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh late last night, seeking the deployment of additional Central forces.

Those who did not...

JALPAIGURI/MALDA, April 30: The Terai Dooars Committee of the Akhil Baratiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad's poll boycott call took its toll in the Alipurduar Lok Sabha constituency today. Following the boycott call, no vote was cast in 17 booths of the constituency today. The ABAVP Terai-Dooars Coordination Committee is pleased with the low voter turnout. President Mr John Barla said: “We are happy that the Adivasis of the Dooars responded to our call. It is a moral victory for us."

Adivasi voters abstaining from the election accounted for a low turnout in several booths of Phansidewa and Naxalbari-Matigara Assembly segments in the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency. Voting was very poor in the Bijlimoni Hindi High School booth (No. 27/117) at Pahsidewa. According to the presiding officer, Mr Subhash Sinha, only 34 voters out of 871 electorate of the booth voted. The situation was even worse in three booths in the Matigara-Naxalbari Assembly segment. Only four to 10 voters cast their votes in booth nos 25/36, 25/ 45, 25/46, informed the Darjeeling district information officer Mr Jagadish Roy.

Meanwhile, voters of the Bhutni Diara island in Manikchak block of South Malda parliamentary constituency too boycotted poll demanding basic amenities and bridge on the Fulohar River. According to district officials, voters of more than 10 polling stations boycotted the polls in the island. n SNS

Heat claims polling official

MALDA, April 29: A polling official died and several others fell ill in the continuing heat wave in Malda today. The victim has been identified as Noor Mohammad (55). Two others - Mr Prakash Dasgupta and Mr Pankaj Roy - fell unconscious and are recieving treatment in the district hospital. According to the additional district magistrate (development), Malda, Mrs Indrani Saha, Noor Mohammad - a cultivation assistant with the sericulture departmen - died sitting in a vehicle just before moving out of the Malda Polytechnic. “He was waiting for the other members of the team. He had been deployed in the Manikchak Assembly segment. Other polling personnel, including photographers, fell ill at the dispatch centre in Chanchal,” the ADM said. The body has been sent for postmortem. The Election Commission will compensate for the death of the polling personnel on duty, officials informed. n SNS

Sonia sidelines Das Munshi in campaign blunder

MALDA, April 28: Many followers of Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, including the Congress MLAs in North Malda, have expressed unhappiness at the Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi's failure to mention Mr Das Munshi in her speech at Kandaran, Samsi.

A section of Congress leaders played the blame game till late yesterday night, accusing each other for this ‘mistake’ and for the ‘mismanagement’ of Mrs Gandhi's rally, which has also claimed the life of a dedicated Congress worker, in Harishchandrapur.

“I was hurt that Mrs Sonia Gandhi did not mention the name of our leader Priya-da in her speech,” said Mr Indra Narayan Majumdar, elected member of Chanchal panchayat samiti.

“Had any leader of Malda district Congress, including the Malda MP (Mr AH Khan Choudhury who was present), briefed her, she would not have made this mistake. No leader had informed her that she came here in 2004 for Priya-da's election campaign,” Mr Majumdar said.

The Congress MLAs, including Mr Krishnendu Choudhury from English Bazaar, pointed out the mistake to Mrs Sonia Gandhi when she got down from the dais.

“Madam (Sonia Gandhi) admitted her ‘mistake’ when the matter was pointed out. Madam said that she did not know that Mr Das Munshi was elected as MP from here,” said Mr Asif Mehbub, the Congress MLA from Kharba (Chanchal).

“Everybody expected that Mrs Gandhi would say something about Priya-da's prolonged illness during the rally,” said Mr Suresh Behani, who was another contender for North Malda.

Who drafted the speech copy for Mrs Sonia Gandhi?

A section of Congress leaders have blamed Mr Masudur Rahman, chief election agent of Miss Mausam Noor. Mr Rahman was also in charge of organising the rally there. Another section is blaming Mr Pranab Mukherjee, the external affairs minister, who was with Mrs Gandhi.

Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Mr Pranab Mukherjee did not say a single word about Priya Ranjan Das Munhsi in the rally yesterday but they recalled the memory of the late ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury repeatedly to beg votes for Miss Mausam Noor.

In other election news, the CPI-M cadres have been alerted by their district leadership to check the ‘communal trend’ of voting, following the shadow of ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury in North Malda.

It was also reported that Miss Noor and her followers are confident enough of getting huge number of votes from Harishchandrapur I & II, Chanchal I & II and Ratua I & II blocks where 65 to 67 per cent (based on census report 2001) people belong to the Muslim community.

The cadres are worried about a similar trend in Gazole, where Muslim population is 21 per cent. Muslims are predicted to lean towards Miss Noor because she belongs to the family of a Muslim Pir at Pandua, Gazole. n sns

Congress arranges for attack on CPI-M committee secretary

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 28: Tension prevails in Sujapur Assembly segment in South Malda LS seat under Kaliachak police station.

The CPI-M alleged that criminals backed by the Congress attacked its local committee secretary Haji Sheikh Ketabuddin last night and opened fire at him.

Ketabuddin, who had contested in the last Sujapur by polls against the Congress MLA Miss Mausam Noor, managed to escape.

Two groups exchanged bombs and gunfire last night after the information came to light that Ketabuddin had been attacked.

Police arrested one 'Saharul' last night on charge of attacking the committee secretary, to maintain law and order before the elections.

Though the CPI-M alleged that the Congress attacked his party leader Ketabuddin, the Congress leaders, including the general secretary of the district committee Mr Hassan Ali Shah, countered the CPI-M comments and said: “The CPI-M backed miscreants are trying to terrorize the people just before the election. It is their common practice.”

Police are keeping a close eye on the situation and waiting for adequate Central forces to deploy in the sensitive areas.

The district police administration had lodged one company Central force at Sujapur for a route march through various sensitive areas under Kaliachak police station areas, centring on the Sujapur areas, which were identified as ‘socially trouble spots’ by the local police station.

The main Sujapur town area is now under the control of the CPI-M. The other parts are under the control of the Congress. These areas, like Sujapur and Kaliachak, have given a decent lead to the Congress candidates for the last few decades.

Catch her young!

MALDA, April 27: Age seems to be a bar, this election. The date of birth of Miss Mausam Noor, Congress candidate for North Malda parliamentary constituency, is 15 October 1979, but her nomination papers had a different story to tell. On 3 April, when she filed her papers to contest the forthcoming elections, her form~ Form 2-A, read that she was twenty seven.

This has sparked off fresh controversy, especially in the light of Mr Pranab Mukherjee's remark that Miss Noor was a little girl. The external affairs minister had made the comment while campaigning in Gazole a few days back.

Taking advantage of this, BJP candidate for North Malda, Mr Amlan Bhaduri said: “Why did she suppress her original age in the nomination paper? Did she submit another affidavit about her age? Election Commission should change its form and should ask all candidates to mention date of birth in future".

Clearing her stand, Miss Noor said: “My date of birth is 15 Oct 1979. But in the electoral roll, it has been mentioned as 27".

Her chief election agent too supported her stand. “I know she is 29 year old. She declared her age based on voters’ list to avoid any controversy. Age is not the factor here because she declared ‘I have completed 27 years of age’ in Form 2(A)." n SNS

Man dies at Sonia rally

Statesman News Service

KANDARAN April 27: One person died and seven others were injured when a broken branch of a tree fell on them at Kandaran in Samsi during Mrs Sonia Gandhi's rally on Monday. A large crowd had assembled at the meeting venue and ignoring the security instructions many broke barricades and entered the reserved areas to catch a glimpse of Mrs Gandhi.

Chaos followed soon after during which the branch of a tree, on which 12 boys were sitting, broke off and fell on those gathered under it. Mohd Abujar (65), a Congress supporter of Jagannathpur village in Harishchandrapur was injured. He was taken to Ratua hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injury. Three more injured persons are undergoing treatment at the Malatipur health centre and two critically inured persons have been referred to the Malda district hospital.

Sonia calls Left dictatorial

Statesman News Service

LALGOLA/SAMSI/ISLAMPUR, April 27: Sharing the dais with Trinamool chief Miss Mamata Banerjee for the first time in eight years, Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi today attacked the Left Front government for running a “dictatorship” in West Bengal and failing to tackle poverty during its 32-year rule.

The UPA chairperson, campaigning for external affairs minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee at Lalgola, a small settlement in Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency, said the Left Front government had created conditions for anarchy to prevail in the state. “In the name of democracy, the CPI-M has perpetrated dictatorship in the state... committing atrocities on political opponents and depriving the people of their legitimate rights,” she alleged.

Attacking the government over its handling of the Singur and Nandigram land-related controversies, she said, “People there had to face government-sponsored violence and those who lost their land got a thrashing from the state government."

She said the Left Front government has failed to provide basic amenities to the people in the rural areas. “Had CPI-M's policies been proper, people would not be so poor in West Bengal in 32 years,” she said.

Miss Mamata Banerjee, who gave the warcry, “Bury the CPI-M in the polls ” also slammed the state government on several issues, including poverty, women trafficking and unemployment. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee said the Left Front government has not done anything to implement the NREGA scheme. “Does the Left government have a reply as to why daily wagers were given for only 22 days’ works on average out of 100 work-days under the job guarantee scheme? Implementation of employment guarantee scheme is far better in other states,” he said.

Later, addressing another election rally at Samsi, in North Malda constituency, Mrs Gandhi promised to implement the Sachar Committee recommendations for the minority community if the Congress returns to power.

Continuing her attack on the LF government, Mrs Gandhi said: “The Central government had formulated many programmes for the poor and the farmers since 2004 but the Left Front always opposed those. The West Bengal government failed to issue job cards for the poor people and failed to provide employment under the NREGA schemes.”

She also took a dig at the Third Front and the race for the Prime Minister's slot among a section of leaders. “They do not have the vision or aim to serve the people. All they want is power, which is why there is a race among many of the proposed Third Front leaders for the Prime Minister's post,” she stated.

Mrs Gandhi followed up her Malda rally with another at Islampur in North Dinajpur district for the Raiganj Congress candidate Mrs Deepa Das Munshi.

Malda gears up to host Sonia and Buddha

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 26: The Malda Congress is preparing for its final election campaign for Miss Mausam Noor in North Malda, with the Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi due to appear at a rally at Kandaran in Samsi tomorrow.

The district police administration has stepped up security covering the entire area of Samsi following the instruction of the special protection group (SPG). The top officials of the SPG have given specific guidelines to the Congress leaders, including the candidate for North Malda Miss Noor, and asked them to follow these guidelines at the rallies.

“We are facing difficulties in following the guidelines of the SPG to the point in our organisation of the programme for Mrs Sonia Gandhi here,” said Mr Masudur Rahman, chief election agent of Miss Noor and vice-president of the district Congress. Mrs Gandhi will be arriving here around 11.30 a.m. tomorrow, according to Congress leaders. District police have provided manpower for maintaining access control and to enforce anti-sabotage measures in Samsi.

The Congress will also organise another programme for the external affairs minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee and Mr AH Khan Choudhury at Kaliachak area in South Malda parliamentary constituency, to take place around four p.m. tomorrow. The CPI-M meanwhile, will also be organising a rally at Pakuahat in North Malda for party candidate Mr Sailen Sarkar tomorrow morning, which the chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will address.

Mr Bhattacharjee will be coming from Raiganj to Pakuahaat in the morning by road and will rest at the Old Circuit House in English Bazaar town. He will then leave for Kolkata by train. Besides the chief minister, another politburo member Mrs Brinda Karat will address four election rallies in Malda district.

According to the CPI-M party office, Mrs Brinda Karat will address a rally at Chanchal in North Malda around three p.m. on 27 April, and at Baishnabnagar in Kaliachak III under the South Malda parliamentary area at around six p.m. on the same day. On 28 April, her last day of campaigning, Mrs Karat will address a meeting at LIC More in English Bazaar town at 8.30 am in South Malda and another at Gazole in North Malda around one p.m. for Mr Sarkar. The district police face the difficult task of providing the large number of police personnel needed to ensure these rallies are peaceful and secure.

Insult to people of Bengal: Buddhadeb

SAMSI/NEW DELHI, April 25: “We do not need to learn anything from Mr. Rahul Gandhi about farmers’ and poor people’s plight in West Bengal”, chief minister Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said today.

Addressing an election rally at Samsi in North Malda parliamentary seat, the CM reacted sharply the comments of Mr Gandhi about Bengal and said: “ We will never learn any thing from Mr. Rahul Gandhi. What does he know? He was not born when we had struggled to develop the lives of farmers and downtrodden people in this state. He needs to learn more and study more about the West Bengal where poor farmers have got betterment in their lives”. “His remarks against our state and our farmers have humiliated them”, he added.

CPI-M leader, Mr Sitaram Yechury, too termed Mr Gandhi’s attack on the Left government in West Bengal as “tantamount to insulting the people of Bengal”. He told reporters in New Delhi that the people of West Bengal had elected the Left Front government seven times in a row. “Why are the people continuing to repose faith in the Left? If you say they are doing so for the wrong reasons, then it is tantamount to insulting the people of Bengal,” he said. SNS

Rahul fire hits Cong in IAY

MALDA, April 24: A remark concerning unspent Indira Awas Yojna funds by Mr Rahul Gandhi at English Bazaar in South Malda constituency during a poll campaign has put the Congress in an embarrassing spot in Malda today, as the grand old party controls the Malda zilla parishad whose responsibility it was to spend the funds.

Addressing a political rally at English Bazaar today Mr Gandhi stated: “The UPA government had allotted Rs 30 crore in Indira Awas Yojna funds for Malda district but the district has spent only Rs 12 crore, which is 40 per cent of the fund. The rest of the fund is in the hands of the state government.” Indira Awas Yojna funds are spent through the zilla parishad and unfortunately for both Mr Gandhi and the Congress, the Malda zilla parishad is in the hands of the Congress.

Despite the damage done, most Congress leaders are avoiding a reaction, except AICC member Mr Asit Bose. “The moment Mr Gandhi uttered the words, I told the district Trinamul president Mr Dulal Sarkar that this would cause real damage,” Mr Bose said.

Acutely embarrassed, the MZP sabhadhipati Mrs Sabina Yeasmin said: “We have allotted the entire IAY funds to all gram panchayats for implementation.” n SNS

Rahul wonders what CPM did in Bengal

Statesman News Service

PURULIA/KHATRA (Bankura)/MALDA/JALPAIGURI, April 24: Congress general secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, today lashed out at the Marxists alleging that they had failed to stand by the poor as and when required in West Bengal.

He arrived at the tribal dominated town of Khatra in Bankura to campaign for the Congress candidate for Bankura Mr Subrata Mukherjee.

He said: “The Communist government has been in power for considerable time here, but I don’t understand why they couldn't do anything for thousands of people suffering hunger, unemployment and poverty. It’s a shameful situation.”

More than 20,000 people had gathered, braving a temperature 46 degree Celcius. Senior leaders of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, who have fielded a candidate against Mr Mukherjee in Bankura were also present in the rally to welcome Mr Gandhi. While talking about the UPA, Mr Gandhi said: "It is the UPA that stood beside the tribal and the downtrodden. In five years we have launched several Guarantee Rojgar Yojnas, midday meal in the schools aiming to help total elevation of the poor people in the villages. Also it was the UPA that tried to exempt agricultural loan worth Rs 70 crore during its tenure because it had certain firm pro-people policies.” Mr Gandhi today described the Left Front government in West Bengal as backdated and said: “The country needed to move on and advance in the fields of science and technology, not get bogged down by the Left parties’ anachronistic ideas like blocking the nuclear agreement with the USA.” Mr Gandhi said this while addressing an election rally for the South Malda Congress candidate in English Bazaar town today.

In a second rally of the day in north Bengal at Malbazaar for the party's Jalpaiguri candidate Mr Sukhabilash Barma, Mr Gandhi said that the people were frustrated with Left Front misrule in the state. “While the whole country is heading towards a brighter future, the CPI-M has no intention to move with the pace. The West Bengal government has failed to implement the Central projects like NREGS, Indira Awas Yojna etc. earmarked for the benefit of the people,” he alleged.

Staff crunch poses security problem

MALDA, April 23: The Malda police administration is facing a shortage of manpower that may limit their ability to maintain access control and enforce anti-sabotage measures in this district during the visit of VVIPs beginning on 24 April.

The Congress general secretary Mr Rahul Gandhi will be coming to the district tomorrow, while the chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will visit here on 25 and 27 April. The Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi will address a rally here on 27 April.

“We are facing a manpower crunch at present that may limit security arrangements during the visit of political personalities to the district for election campaigning. We are preparing police arrangements and calculating the shortfall of manpower today,” said Malda SP Mr Satyajit Bandyopadhyay. “We shall have to report the shortfall of police personnel to the directorate of police seeking additional forces in order to make the necessary arrangements,” he added.

The Malda SP said that 27 April will pose a particular problem, as a large police presence will be required to cover the two political rallies taking place on that day. The chief minister will address a political rally at Pakuahaat on the eastern side of Malda district, while the Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi will be arriving around 11.30 a.m. at Samsi in the northern part of Malda district. Mr Bhattacharjee will be coming from North Dinajpur by road and Mrs Gandhi will be coming from Jangipur by helicopter.

The Special Protection Group has already visited the spot - the Malda District Sports Association (DSA) ground - where the helicopter of Mr Rahul Gandhi will be landing, as well as the playground close to the DSA where Mr Gandhi will address the rally in English Bazaar town.

The SPG is keeping in touch with Malda police in order to make necessary arrangements in English Bazaar town for Mr Gandhi's visit. On 25 April, the chief minister will address two political rallies in this district. Coming by train from Kolkata, the CM will address a rally at Samsi on 25 April afternoon in North Malda and at Brindaboni playground in English Bazaar town in the evening. He will then return from Samsi. “There is a specific guideline set out for security arrangements. The SPG will look into arrangements required for Mrs and Mr Gandhi's visits,” said SP Mr Bandyopadhyay. n SNS

One constituency, one vote counting booth

MALDA, April 23: The Election Commission has recently directed that each Parliamentary constituencies will have only one counting premises, said Mr Sridhar Ghosh, the Malda district magistrate.

Earlier it was decided that counting would be held in different places based on the location of Assembly constituencies. Under the supervision of district election officials, the returning officer from one district would have collected the results from one or two Assembly segments from other district election officials and total the results of the seven Assembly constituencies for his one Parliamentary constituency.

But, following the recent order of the commission, the district election officials are arranging for each Parliamentary constituency to have only one counting premises.

In Malda, the district election officials are arranging two counting premises for two Parliamentary constituencies - North Malda and South Malda.

Malda College has been selected as the counting premises for South Malda Parliamentary seat and Malda Polytechnic has been selected for North Malda Parliamentary seat.

The election officials of Murshidabad district will make polling arrangements by deploying polling personnel in Farakka and Samserganj under South Malda parliamentary seat and receive all EVMs from them. Latter all EVMs will be transported to the strong room of the Malda College in the district headquarters, with full security in place for the counting.

Similarly, the Chanchal subdivision will arrange everything for conducting the polls on 30 April and receive EVMs and papers from the polling personnel. Later all the EVMs will be brought to Malda Polytechnic, close to Malda town, for counting.

On the other hand, the CEO in West Bengal has directed that micro-observers should be selected from the list of eligible officers by the Central observers. Polling stations will be assigned manually by the observers a day prior to the day of departure. It has been deemed unnecessary to randomise the selection process of micro-observers by using computer software. (SNS)

Pranab campaigns for Mausam

Statesman News Service

GAZOLE (Malda) April 22: The external affairs minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee today begged votes for the Congress candidate for North Malda parliamentary constituency Miss Mausam Noor, recalling the contribution of former railway minister and Congress patriarch in Malda, ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury.

Clearing the air on the family and faction feud, Mr Pranab Mukherjee today said while addressing an election rally in Gazole that the party had earlier decided to nominate Miss Mausam Noor, niece of ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, for the North Malda Lok Sabha seat.

“Though Dr AN Khan Choudhury (Lebu-babu) was another contender for this seat, the party high command could not consider his candidature due to technical problems and some litigation. The party would give him an opportunity to contest in future elections,” Mr Pranab Mukherjee said.

Mr Mukherjee claimed that ABA Ghani Khan had dreamt of an alliance between the Congress and the Trinamul Congress, but nothing had materialized from his dreams at that time.

“But this time we have been able to make an alliance with the Trinamul Congress to oust the CPI-M from West Bengal because the Trinamul Congress has cut off relations with the NDA,” he concluded.

The West Bengal PCC chief Mr Pranab Mukherjee came down heavily on the Communist ruling government, saying: “In the last 32 years the CPI-M led LF has extorted people in the name of the ‘rule’ of the state. People have been deprived of many benefits formulated by the Congress led Central government.”

“How can the CPI-M claim votes from you to form the Central government when it has no base in 25 states in the country? These are not panchayat elections, where the CPI-M could form a board. These are parliamentary elections. Only the Congress can claim votes from people and make the government in Delhi,” he said.

The external affairs minister focused on recent programmes of the Central government and promised: “If the Congress comes to power it will pass the Food Security Act to provide either 25 kg rice or wheat to every poor family at the rate of Rs 3 per month.”

Mr Mukherjee claimed that the India government, led by Dr Manmohan Singh, has been able to save the country from global recession. At present, the economies of India and China are in a good position, compared to the developed countries.

Mr Mukherjee has pointed out that he had allotted Rs 31,000 crore for the 100-days job scheme in his last interim budget and chalked out several schemes for minorities to provide more financial loans from banks. He also drew the voters' attention to the implementation of the old age pension scheme, and the training programme for young widows.

Lorry looted, trade with Bangladesh disrupted

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 22: Export of goods to Bangladesh was suspended for a few hours at Mahadipur land customs station in English Bazaar today, when a lorry loaded with onions was looted and set on fire, after the vehicle killed one person.

One Sirajul Sheikh (45) was killed at Mahadipur, close to Loton Masjid, the historical ruins of Gour, when the onion-laden lorry lost control due to bad road conditions at around eight a.m.

After the death of the cyclist, a resident of nearby Kadamtala village, angry locals rushed to the spot and turned violent. Sirajul had been on his way to visit his mango orchards.

“Taking advantage of the chaotic situation, local anti-socials looted onions from the lorry and it was set on fire,” claimed Mr Ujjal Saha, a senior member of the Mahadipur exporters’ association.

Fire tender rushed to the spot to extinguish the fire, but before their arrival the lorry was completely gutted. The driver of the lorry surrendered before a police station after the accident.

Retaliating against the protesters' highhandedness, local exporters staged another agitation, suspending export to Bangladesh and demanding the arrest of the criminals and recovery of the export items.

On behalf of a Kolkata-based exporter, the local exporters lodged a complaint with the police. The exporters lifted the suspension of border trade after police assured them that they would nab the criminals who looted the lorry.

Great invasion

MALDA, April 21: The district election officials have asked the English Bazaar police to take necessary action against a group of Congress woekres who allegedly set up their party office at a private building without taking permission from the owner. A businessman by profession, Mr. Barun Saha yesterday lodged a complaint with Mr. Sridhar Ghosh, the district magistrate and returning officer for South Malda parliamentary constituency against a group of Congress party workers. According to him, Congress workers forcibly set up an ‘election campaigning office’ and broke the lock of his building located at Jhaljhalia in English Bazaar town. Pointing out violation of Model Code of Conduct, Mr. Saha urged the district magistrate to remove ‘unauthorized encroachment’ including flags and festoons displayed in his building illegally. SNS

Rahul presence to grace Malda

MALDA, April 21: Congress general secretary Mr Rahul Gandhi will arrive in English Bazaar town on 24 April to kick off the party's campaign in North and South Malda for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The Malda Congress MP, Mr A H Khan Choudhury received an official confirmation this morning and asked the English Bazaar MLA Mr Krishnendu Choudhury to make necessary arrangements ahead of his visit. Mr Krishnendu Choudhury today met the Malda superintendent of police Mr Satyajit Bandyopadhayay regarding the venue for the meet and also for proper security cover.

It has been reported that the Congress supporters are facing a lot of problem in deciding upon a venue for the meet. Initally, Brindaboni play ground was on their list, but the CPI-M members have already booked the place for a meeting to be addressed by the chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on 25 April. The Congress leaders also thought about the ground infront of the Ramkrishna Mission's Vivekananda School, but their plan faced a setback as they would not be allowed to use loudspeakers. “Mr Gandhi will be arriving here around 1 p.m on 24 April. His helicopter can easily land on the DSA's (district sports association) protected ground. But we need to take permission from the secretary of the Malda RKM for using loudspeakers. I will meet Swami Divyananda seeking his permission to organise the programme there”, said Mr Krishnendu Choudhury. n SNS

Dry spell hits boro paddy in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 21: Continuing dry spell is taking a toll on ‘boro paddy’ in Malda district. According to the district principal agriculture officer, Mr R K Das, the dry spell has damaged 25 per cent of the paddy cultivated over 33,000 hectares in the Barind belt comprising Bamongola, Habibpur, Gazole and parts of Old Malda.

Besides boro paddy, jute cultivation has also been adversely hit due to lack of rain. Moreover, the local ponds and small waterbodies have dried up.

Malda district, which gets an average rainfall of 71 mm between January and April in other years, has received a paltry 9 mm rainfall in the corresponding period this year. Rainfall has been as low as 6.3 mm in some areas of the district. Conversely, the heat has increased. According to the weather department of the district agriculture department figures, the temperature has shot up to around 40 degree Celsius, which is five degree higher than normal. Worse still, soil temperature has increased too, affecting the roots of the plants.

In addition to paddy and jute, mango cultivation has also been hit and the small mangos are falling off the trees. "Irrigation through river lifting projects and deep tube wells are a must if the remaining mango has to be saved,” said the principal agriculture officer Mr Das. He also said that the Model Code of Conduct for elections is coming in the way of helping the farmers.

Frequent power cuts and for prolonged hours are proving a hurdle to river lifting irrigation projects for boro paddy compounding the conditions. Speaking on the issue the divisional manager, power department Mr D K Mondal said: “Farmers are getting power for lifting water from various sources. The demand of power has increased by 10 mega watt than last summer in the district.”

Gazole gears up for Pranab rally

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 20: External affairs minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee will be campaigning in Gazole, a tribal dominated red bastion, in a bid to reduce the leading margin of the CPI-M candidate Mr Sailen Sarkar in the North Malda parliamentary seat.

According to Mr Masudur Rahman, the district Congress vice president and election agent of the Congress candidate Miss Mausam Noor, Mr Mukherrjee will hold a rally in Gazole on 22 April. Though the Congress initially planned a joint rally of Mr Mukherjee and the Trinamul Congress chief, Miss Mamata Banerjee, but there has been no official date for Miss Banerjee’s rally. Mr Rahaman said: “If Miss Mamata Banerjee can mange time for Malda we will arrange another rally at Pakuahaat in Bamongola under Habibpur Assembly segment”.

It may be noted that the Congress has targetted to reduce the leading margin of the CPI-M from the two Assembly segments like Habibpur and Gazole, red bastions, where the LF leaders are expecting a 40,000 plus lead margin for the CPI-M candidate.

Political observers feel that the CPI-M senior leader, Mr Sailen Sarkar will face a tough fight against the Congress candidate Miss Noor in North Malda. It may be noted that Mr Sailen Sarkar was elected twice from Ratua assembly segment.

To gear up the voters in the northern part of his district, the Congress too has planned an mass election rally with the Congress party president Mrs Sonia Gandhi at Samsi College ground on 27 April under the Ratua assembly segment.

Candidate confronts Muslim issue in S Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 20: Muslim League (Kerala State Committee) candidate for South Malda parliamentary constituency Md. Ejaruddin has taken up issues based on the Sachar Committe report in the Muslim dominated areas.

“On the basis of the the Sachar Committee report, Muslims in West Bengal are lagging behind compared to their counterparts in other states. The state government has done nothing for them in the last 32 years," the 74-year old said.

Campaigning with a small team at Battali in English Bazaar this morning, Md Ezaruddin alleged that out of the twenty five percent Muslim population living in West Bengal, only two percent has been recruited in government and semi-government sector.

A former madrassa teacher, Md Ezaruddin decided to contest the elections after he lost faith in both the elected members of the CPI-M and Congress in Malda and the adjoining Murshidabad district where he worked in a madrassa. Confident of a win, he said: “I am an active worker of the Muslim League affiliated to the Kerala State Committee and am getting positive response from the Muslim population. Personally, I don't think that family members of the late ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury would rule Malda forever."

“If the Election Commission can conduct free and fair polls, I will be elected. Candidates belonging to the Congress and the CPI-M beg votes by paying money. Money plays a huge role in every election but we don't have the money," he added.

BJP seeks VHP aid to retain Malda vote bank

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 19: To check the trend whereby former BJP supporters and voters are thinking of casting their votes either for the Congress or the CPI-M candidate in North Malda parliamentary seat, the district BJP leaders have sought the help of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

Malda's BJP and VHP leaders have marked out some specific areas ~ mainly North-Malda parliamentary constituency ~ to be covered in a planned Sant Yatra in order to check the swing trend.

In the last few days the BJP's candidate for North Malda parliamentary constituency ~ Mr Amlan Bhaduri ~ was worried about a change of mood in its party's vote bank due to the Congress candidate Miss Mausam Noor's impressive election campaigning in the Hindu-dominated belt like Gazole, Bamongola, Habibpur and Old Malda. According to Mr Asim Chakraborty, a BJP state committee leader, the Sant Yatra will cover a part of South Malda parliamentary constituency and in many places in North Malda parliamentary constituency from 21 April to 23 April. The rally will leave for North Dinajpur on 24 April.

In North Malda parliamentary seat, the Sant Yatra will campaign for the BJP candidate Mr Amlan Bhaduri, at Bhaluka Bazaar in Harishchandrapur, Chanchal, Gazole, Nalagola, Pakuahaat,

Though the Malda district BJP leaders have planned to bring Mr Narendra Modi for campaigning in Gazole, but his visit is yet to be scheduled. Mr Amlan Bhaduri admitted the problem of the present swing trend among BJP voters and said: “Our forces have been mobilised to check the trend and some weak spots are being restored”. On the other hand, the Congress candidate Miss Mausam Noor, is campaigning from one tribal village to another one taking part with the folk dance organised by the tribal women with traditional colourful dresses even in red bastion.

Miss Noor's impressive election campaigning has created panic among the CPI-M workers in Gazole and Habibpur villages where the Left Front candidates used to get decent leading margin taking on the BJP candidates in recent past.

Special EPIC drive in Malda

MALDA, April 19: The district election officials will launch special drive to provide EPIC (electoral photo identity card) to the non-EPIC voters from 20 April. The drive will continue till 23 April.

According to the district magistrate in Malda, Mr Sridhar Ghosh, a total of 18, 31,268 voter cards have been issued against 18,85,013 electors in this district. But a total of 53,745 voters do not have EPIC. “The voters who have been enrolled as electors but do not have EPIC, they can get EPIC between 20 and 23 April during special drive,” Mr Sridhar Ghosh, the district magistrate and collector, said. According to him, 97.15 per cent electors have got EPIC. The rest 2.85 per cent electors can collect EPIC during this period or use specified documents before casting votes.

“This is for the first time the Commission has decided to entertain the Job Card, identity card for registered labourers under the national rural employment guarantee act (NREGA), as valid document. The non-EPIC voters can use the job card in their respective polling stations,” Mr Ghosh said.

It may be noted that the highest number of non-EPIC electors have been identified in Sujapur Assembly constituency. A total of 9873 electors do not have EPIC in Sujapur out of 1, 57,299 electors including 75,091 female voters.

Officials said many people are migrant labourers in Sujapur Assembly segment and they did not turn up in time to get their EPIC. n SNS

Cong loss is CPM gain in South Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 17: The Congress candidate for South Malda Mr AH Khan Choudhury is being criticised for several things including non-utilisation of MPLAD funds.

Apart from CPI-M supporters, a group of Congress workers too are criticising Mr AH Khan Choudhury for not utilising MPLAD funds in the past year. This issue seems to have gone to the advantage of the CPI-M candidate for South Malda, Dr Abdur Razzaque who has been bringing this up in all public meetings.

“Congress workers are asking their MP where they were in the last two years. He does not even receive calls from people when they are in need,” he said.

It has been reported that in many block areas, Congress supporters are not happy with Mr AH Khan's performance. In fact, residents of Malda complained that no development work was initiated during the tenure of Mr AH Khan Choudhury in the last two and half years , after he was elected as MP following the death of his elder brother, ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, the former Malda MP.

Till today, voters remember ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, for all that he did for the people of Malda. An electric crematorium at Saudullahapur in English Bazaar for Hindus and a graveyard for Muslims in English Bazaar town, set up just before the last Lok Sabha elections, deserve mention.

When contacted, Mr AH Khan Choudhury said: “Yes, I do not receive all phone calls. Everybody knows my cell phone number and they ‘disturb’ me with small matters and issues”.

Faction feud

The AICC observer, Mr Intekhab Alam today said that a team of local Congress leaders would inquire into the allegation that followers of Dr AH Khan Choudhury were indulging in anti-party activities in North Malda parliamentary constituency against the Congress candidate Miss Mausam Noor.

Speaking to the reporters at Congress party office today, Mr Alam said that if found guilty, action would be taken against the concerned people.

Mr Alam came to Malda to resolve disputes after receiving complaints that a section of Congress workers were not cooperating with Miss Mausam Noor for campaigning ever since she was chosen to contest the elections as candidate for North Malda.

Mr Alam also expressed happiness over work done by party workers in the two parliamentary seats and was confident that the Congress candidates will win both the seats in Malda.

Sonia , CM to rally in Malda

MALDA, April 16: The Congress party president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi and chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee will campaign for their candidates in North Malda parliamentary constituency on 27 April.

The Malda Congress leaders had sent a proposal to the AICC for Mrs Sonia Gandhi to campaign in Samsi in Ratua Assembly segment following which the CPI-M changed chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's schedule for Samsi.

“We have selected the venue at Samsi for Mrs Sonia Gandhi campaigning for new Congress candidate Miss Mausam Noor in a newly formed North Malda parliamentary seat. We do not have the official confirmation about her visit from the AICC till date. The state Congress leaders have not received any official confirmation for Mr Rahul Gandhi's visit in Raiganj till date as well,” Mr Hassan Ali Shah, general secretary of the Malda Congress, said. Mr AH Khan Choudhury, the Malda MP and contesting Congress candidate for South Malda parliamentary seat is confident of his victory and seems uninterested in organising any rally in his area with heavyweight leaders of the Congress, the district Congress leaders said.

The Malda CPI-M has already announced the time and venue of chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's election campaigning in Malda and North Dinajpur districts. According to the Malda CPI-M party office, Mr Bhattacharjee will be coming here by train on 25 April and would go to Samsi (regulated market committee ground) around 4 p.m. on 25 April. The CM will also address a rally at Brindaboni play ground in English Bazaar town at evening after returning from Samsi. The CM will stay at Malda and will start for North Dinajpur for election campaigning on 26 April. He will returning to Malda and will address another rally at Pakuahaat under North Malda parliamentary seat on 27 April, last campaigning in Malda district.

A group of senior CPI-M and LF leaders including Mrs Brinda Karat and Mr Nilotpal Basu will campaign in the North and South Malda parliamentary seats from 19 April to 28 April. (SNS)

Only 42 service electors in Sujapur

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 16: Though the total number of electors in Muslim dominated Sujapur Assembly segment is 1,57,299, total number of service electors in the area is only 42.

The number is highest in Manikchak Assembly segment with 538 sevice electors. Total number of electors in the region is 1,55,617.

In tribal and backward class dominated Habibpur Assembly segment, the total number of electors is 1,73,496, highest in 12 Assembly segments in the district. The number of female voters is 84,394. But it has only 99 service voters.

The Habibpur Assembly segment is a Hindu dominated belt which is also a CPI-M strong hold with the BJP second most popular.

In Ratua Assembly segments, the total number of voters is 1,72,721. A total of 352 service electors have been identified there.

Out of 12 Assembly segments, after delimitation, the new Assembly segment Malatipur in North Malda parliamentary constituency has lowest number of electors. A total of 1,34,945 voters have been enrolled in Malatipur where the number of service elector is only 86.

In Malda district total number of electors is 18,85,013 including 9,03,141 female voters.

In North Malda parliamentary seat the total number of electors is 11,00,145 including 5,26,835 female voters in seven Assembly segments such as Habibpur (ST), Gazole (SC), Chanchal, Harishchandrapur, Malatipur, Ratua and Malda (SC).

Out of 12 Assembly constituency in Malda, five Assembly constituencies have come under South Malda Parliamentary Assembly constituency. They are Manikchak, English Bazaar, Mothabari, Sujapur and Baishnabnagar. The total number of electors in five Assembly constituencies is 7,84,868 including 3,76,306 women.

The South Malda parliamentary has been formed comprising seven Assembly constituencies including two ~ Farakka and Samserganj ~ from Murshidabad district.

Bid to woo bidi workers...

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 16: With tussle for votes gaining momentum, political parties are now trying to woo the bidis workers. The CPI-M candidate for South Malda, Dr Abdur Razzaque, has been criticising his opponent Mr AH Khan Choudhury, the Congress candidate, pointing out lack of facilities provided to the bidi workers.

Dr Razzaque has made the issue a poll plank and at every meeting in South Malda parliamentary constituency, he has been asking: "What has the current Malda MP, Mr AH Khan Choudhury, done in the interest of bidi workers?"

Dr Razzaque said: “Mr Khan Choudhury has done nothing to address the problem of bidi workers. He has, however, done a lot for the bidi factory owners in this region for his own vested interest.”

“Mr Khan Choudhury owns a packaging house for bidi industries. He keeps in touch with the bidi factory owners so that they buy the packaging products from his company,” Dr Razzaque alleged.

“The MP has not even done anything so that bidi workers get legitimate wages in Samserganj or in Malda district in last two and half years. The CPI-M backed Citu and other LF trade unions always fight for bidi workers here,” he added.

“The factory owners have been paying poor wages to the bidi workers violating the government's minimum wage rate but the Malda MP has not paid heed to the issue in last two years,” he said.

Runaway inmates

MALDA, April 16: Police intercepted six girl inmates of a government home from Malda Town Station today. The inmates had fled the shelter. Members of an NGO spotted the inmates, who had fled after unlocking the gate of the home, and informed the police.

A section of the inmates of the particular home were currently agitating demanding release from the home called the District Shelter. Raising allegations against the home authority the agitators had boycotted food as well. Suspecting that the six inmates who had fled today, were behind the agitation, officials of the social welfare department had decided to shift them to another government home and had sought the department director's permission on the matter. “We had decided to shift the girls to six different homes,” Mr Pratyarpan Singh Roy, an officer of the social welfare department, said. All the inmates are below 18 years. n SNS

Guidelines

MALDA, April 16: Following the election commission's guidelines the district election officials lodged complaints with police against several political parties for violating model code of conduct in Malda. The election officials have received 177 complaints from different blocks since mid March. The maximum number of complaints has come from Kaliachak block followed by he English Bazaar block, informed the district officials. n SNS

Protests

MALDA, April 16: The Congress candidate for South Malda, Mr AH Khan Choudhury faced angry protests from the party workers at Kamlabari Jadupur in English Bazaar while addressing the workers’ meet today. The workers alleged that Mr Khan Chowdhury was rehabilitating Congress workers who had worked against the party in the last panchayat elections. n SNS

Mausam’s campaign worries BJP in N Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 15: The BJP contesting candidate for North Malda parliamentary constituency is worried about a change of mood in his party's vote bank, following the Congress candidate Miss Mausam Noor's impressive election campaigning in the Hindu-dominated belt.

In many Hindu dominated areas like Gazole, Habibpur and Old Malda, traditional BJP voters are deciding to cast their future vote in favour of ‘Barket-er Bhagin’ (Miss Mausam Noor).

“Past BJP supporters are turning towards Barkat-er Bhagin (Bhagni) because the BJP candidate may not win against the Congress or the CPI-M,” said a grosser in Old Malda Assembly constituency.

To check this trend, BJP candidate Mr Amlan Bhaduri and BJP district leaders have told the state leaders to invite Mr Narendra Modi, chief minister of Gujarat, for campaigning in North Malda.

“The swing trend is very alarming and has come from south Bengal to north Bengal. Common BJP supporters and voters (not committed) are thinking to cast their vote in favour of a candidate who will be able to win. In a triangular fight, common people may select either of the two nearest candidates,” said a BJP district committee leader.

“The trend is difficult to check by only holding meetings at booth level or any other level. It can be checked if we launch a massive election campaign with big political personalities. I have reported the matter to the state and seek Mr Narendra Modi for election campaigning in Gazole to stem the trend away from the BJP,” said candidate Mr Bhaduri.

On the other hand, a group of CPI-M leaders, including the candidate for North Malda Mr Sailen Sarkar, blame the BJP for selling votes to the Congress.

The BJP candidate Mr Amlan Bhaduri retorted to the allegation: “The Congress candidate and leaders are approaching our voters in Habibpur and Gazole, tribal and backward class dominated areas, urging them to cast votes for the Congress in Parliament elections, and suggesting that they vote for the BJP in the Assembly election.”

“BJP voters will not swing to other parties if our workers can boldly say that the BJP candidate will win in the elections. We have planned to bring Mr Narendra Modi to Gazole, to gear up BJP workers and supporters and, where necessary, bring them back to the BJP. We have sought technical information ensuring that Mr Modi's helicopter can land directly at Gazole between 25 to 27 April,” said Mr Asim Chakraborty, BJP state committee leader.

Dry spell hits Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, April 15: The continuing dry spell has started to take effect in Malda district. The ground water level has dropped, many tube wells are dry, and drinking water crisis has hit several parts of the district.

The public health engineering executive engineer for Malda, Mr Swapan Maitra, acknowledged the crisis: “We have heard that tube wells in some areas have run dry. There have been reports of a drinking water crisis in Ratua. But we do not have any ready scheme to meet the drinking water crisis. Generally, we get instructions from the Malda zilla parishad on such matters. We had approached the MZP chief but have not received any instruction to repair the tube wells,” Mr Maitra said.

Describing the predicament, Mr Pratap Kundu, a tea stall owner at Jagannathpur village in Chanchal, said: “We need heavy rain soon. Many tube wells are not functioning due to the drop in ground water. We are coping with water from the river.”

Lack of drinking water in Habibpur area of Barind belt is a perennial problem every summer, but this year there is a water crisis in the northern parts of the district as well.

The crisis has also affected English Bazaar town, and with the Mahananda River almost drying up, the situation is tight. “We have decided to extend the given time for the distribution of drinking water through pipelines in some areas, to meet the present crisis in the rural belt. But many areas are not under the coverage of the PHE,” said the executive engineer, Mr Maitra.

Meidics blamed for death of 11-yr-old

MALDA, April 15: Angry villagers turned violent and ransacked a public health centre (PHC) at Bhaluka under Harishchandrapur police station today following the death of an 11-year-old boy this afternoon, allegedly due to medical negligence.

Santosh Parihar, a class VI student, nearly drowned in a pond at about noon today. Local villagers rushed him to a PHC at Bhaluka, 300m from the spot. However, there was no doctor to attend to him at the PHC. According to the relatives of the victim, Santosh died at the hospital at about 1.30 p.m., after receiving no attention for around one-and-a-half hours.

On hearing of the death, angry locals ransacked the PHC.

The chief medical officer of health, Dr Srikanta Roy, said: “I have asked the BMOH to send an inquiry report to me. Two doctors were posted at the hospital. The doctors are supposed to maintain alternate watches, so that a doctor is in attendance 24 hours to see to emergency patients. We are inquiring as to why the doctor was absent without having given notice.”

The body of the boy has been sent for postmortem. “Without a postmortem report we cannot tell whether he died on the way to the hospital or at the PHC itself, due to lack of medical care. If the doctor is found guilty, action will be taken against him,” Dr Roy said. n SNS

Krishnapur tense after clash

MALDA, April 15: Communal tension prevails in Krishnapur gram panchayat area, close to the Indo-Bangladesh border, after a clash broke out between two communities last midnight.

A large contingent of police rushed to the spot when a group of people attacked and damaged several houses belonging to BJP and Sangha supporters in three villages of Krishnapur GP, under Baishnabnagar police station.

According to BJP leaders, trouble broke out when a Hindu youth claimed due amount from a Muslim youth who had previously taken a loan from him. The Muslim youth and his group then beat up the Hindu youth when he began demanding the money. The victim was beaten up again yesterday evening, after he complained about the incident to his father.

The BJP leaders, including the candidate for South Malda Mr Dipak Chowdhury, informed the Malda SP last night, seeking administrative help and requesting him to take action against the culprits. n SNS