The Calcutta High Court Thursday directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to requisition and deploy central forces across West Bengal for the panchayat elections in the state within 48 hours, amid the ongoing violence.

Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra claimed that?the party will face the central forces and is even ready to face their “torture”.

“The people of Bengal are with Mamata Banerjee. I don't know how many thousands of crores will be spent on these central forces where West Bengal is not getting a single penny for the development of the state. It is a court verdict, everybody has to accept it but don't forget that the votes will be given by the voters,” Mitra said.

“We will give our blood, we are ready to give 'qurbaani' but we will fight back. We will face the central forces but we will prove that the TMC will win and if we have to give our lives, we are ready to face the torture of central forces,” Mitra added.

Violence in West Bengal

On the last day of?filing nominations for the three-tier panchayat polls, at least four people were killed across the state.?The last date of nomination, as per the poll schedule notified by the SEC, was Thursday.

According to a report by India Today, bombs were hurled in the Bhangar area, following which police threw tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.

On June 13, the court had?directed requisition and deployment of central forces forthwith in the areas and districts declared sensitive by the SEC. The move came after opposition politicians, including BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, appealed to the court for deployment of central forces for ensuring peaceful elections, claiming that the state had witnessed large-scale violence during municipal elections in 2022 and Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections in 2021.

However, the court yesterday noted that no appreciable steps have been taken ever since an order was passed by it on June 13 to deploy central forces in sensitive areas for the poll process.