KOLKATA: West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Friday condemned the ongoing political violence across the state over the formation of panchayat boards that has claimed ten lives so far and injured scores over the past week.
"Such political violence is dangerous for democracy and should be stopped immediately," he said.
Two days after three people were killed over the formation of panchayat boards in three-gram panchayats in Amdanga in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Head Quarters) Kalyan Roy was removed from his post on Friday.
Earlier, Amdanga police station SHO Manas Das and SI Subir Haldar were also removed from their posts over the killings.
Naihati MLA and Trinamool Youth Congress leader Partha Bhowmick met the relatives of two slain TMC workers at Amdanga on Friday and stated that TMC apparent heir and Trinamool Youth Congress president Abhishek Banerjee would hold a public rally in the area on September 6.
Meanwhile, seven more people suspected to be connected with the killings were arrested on Friday, taking the total number of arrests to 17.
Police also surrounded several armed political activists in Amdanga on Friday following which they opened fire in the air. Police pickets have been established at various spots in the region and vehicles entering the area are being checked thoroughly.
On the other hand, Pundag police station SHO Sheikh Ismail was removed from his post following deaths of two BJP workers in police firing at Ghaghra gram panchayat in Purulia district on August 27.
Meanwhile, the three-year-old boy who suffered bullet injuries to his head at Manikchak gram panchayat in Malda district on August 30 has been successfully operated upon but is still critical and under medical observation for 72 hours.
The boy was shot in the head after his mother Putul Mondal, a winning BJP candidate, joined the Trinamool Congress to help the ruling party form the panchayat board.
Armed assailants barged into her residence shot at the boy after an argument.