India policeman killed in college poll violence

Kolkata: A police sub-inspector was killed and seven students were seriously injured when fierce clashes took place between the ruling Trinamool Congress students union supporters and erstwhile ally Congress party’s students union activists over filing of nominations for an upcoming students’ union election in a local college here on Tuesday.

According to initial reports, Tapas Choudhury, sub-inspector of special branch, died in the firing by an anti-social identified as Mukhtar, who is now a Congress activist after having left the Communist party.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was in Nandigram in West Midnapore district, is said to have directed the city police officials to bring the situation immediately under control and update her about the situation. She also directed her party leaders to try and defuse the situation.

West Bengal Urban Development Minister and Trinamool leader Firhad Hakim reached the area after the incident and said the police have been asked to take actions against those responsible for it. “Congress supporters attacked and broke the gate and created tension. Our local councillor Mohammad Iqbal was here and they were 100 metres away as directed by police. They were attacked and when Chowdhury tried to save him he was hit by the bullet,” claimed Hakim. “Bombs were also recovered from Communist Party of India-Marxist party office,” he alleged.

Though the police is yet to identify the real cause for the violence, it is believed that some local goons first started shouting anti-government slogans prompting the Trinamool Comgress workers to retaliate.

However, police officials have expressed shock over the incident, where a policeman on duty was killed during a nominal collage election. “If a police officer gets killed during a collage election, what will happen during general elections? Why enough force was not deployed when our senior officials were aware that things can spin out of control,” said a police officer, unwilling to be identified.

“On Monday night, three persons, including the son of the local councillor, were injured in a bomb blast at a house in the same area. The blast occurred while the three were preparing crude bombs, and later he admitted that it was being prepared for the elections the next day. Then why adequate security measures were not taken. For the first time in the history of Bengal a police officer has been killed while being posted in a collage election that too in the city of Kolkata,” the police officer said.

“Students unions were formed as a breeding ground for tomorrow’s leaders. If this is the way tomorrow’s leaders are being shaped, the peace loving citizens of this country are in great danger,” said educationist Sunando Sanyal.