Siliguri, Oct. 26 -- Former Siliguri Mayor and Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC) leader Gautam Deb on Monday called upon all Opposition political parties to unite in order to protect democracy and voting rights ahead of the upcoming Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) elections.

Addressing a press conference at the Darjeeling district office of the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC) in Siliguri, Deb alleged that the BJP was creating an atmosphere of anarchy in the city. He also raised questions over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the vote-counting process.

"Numerous names have been deliberately removed from the electoral rolls during the SIR process in Bengal. There are also doubts about the neutrality of EVMs. In Siliguri, we found postal ballot boxes open. EVMs were also allegedly set on fire in Kolkata. Keeping all these issues in mind, I appeal to all Opposition parties to come together," Deb said.

He further alleged that MAITC and Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) workers were being selectively targeted, assaulted and implicated in false cases. Referring to an incident during the college admission process at Siliguri College, Deb alleged that ABVP members attacked TMCP workers and subsequently implicated them in false cases.

He claimed that the father of a TMCP leader who was arrested in connection with the incident died of a cardiac arrest after receiving news of his son's arrest. Deb also alleged that houses of Trinamool leaders were targeted and that a party tent was attacked during Durga Puja.

Meanwhile, Deb also criticised the new trolley-based system introduced for Durga idol immersion in Siliguri this year. He said the idols were lowered from a considerable height into the Mahananda River, where the water level was low, resulting in the idol's structures being damaged. "It is painful to see Maa Durga being given farewell in this manner. Our demand is that this method of idol immersion should not be followed next year," Deb said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.