Don’t pay heed to canards, Mamata urges people as Bengal rural polls begin amid violence

West Bengal panchayat elections are underway amid reports of violence across the state.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has urged people and political parties to not pay heed to canards and “fake videos” and participate peacefully in the panchayat elections underway amid reports of violence on Monday. (LIVE updates)

Banerjee said her government has taken steps to ensure that the law and order remains normal during the rural polls.

“I urge people as well as all political parties to remain alert and not pay attention to provocations or canards. I appeal to common people to exercise their democratic right and vote peacefully for the development of rural Bengal. The state administration is with them,” she told a news channel.

Referring to the arrest of Trinamool Congress leader Arabul Islam in connection with the killing of a supporter of an independent candidate in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, Banerjee said the police took action, irrespective of the “political colour” of the person.

“The state administration will play a strong role in tomorrow’s panchayat elections... Nobody will be spared (if found disrupting peace). We have taken strict step against Arabul despite he being a candidate of the Zilla Parishad, because we felt that the matter was not right,” she said.

The chief minister urged people to not believe “fake videos” and warned them against falling prey to these.

“I have information that some people are planning to create problem from (Monday) morning using fake videos or using videos of incidents that had happened in Bangladesh or somewhere else in Jharkhand. We will not allow them to spread such things. I urge people not to believe in fake videos,” she said.

Polling for the panchayat elections began at 7am and will end at 5pm. The counting will take place on May 17.