The Evening Wrap: At least 12 killed in violence during West Bengal panchayat polls

At least 12 persons were killed as large-scale irregularities and violence was reported during the polling for the panchayat polls in West Bengal on July 8. Voting began at 7 a.m. and reports of snatching of ballot papers and clashes started coming since the morning. Among those killed were seven supporters of the Trinamool Congress, two each were from the BJP and the CPI(M) and one from the Congress. Four deaths were reported in Murshidabad district, two from Cooch Behar and Purba Bardhaman districts and one each from Nadia, Uttar Dinajpur and South 24 Parganas districts. Violence was reported from Rejinagar, Lalgola, Nowda and Khargram in Murshidbad. Two Trinamool Congress supporters also sustained bomb injuries at Domkal in the district. A BJP polling agent was killed in Cooch Behar. A Trinamool Congress candidate was killed at Chakulia in Uttar Dinajpur when he visited a polling booth. CPI(M) supporters were killed at Ausgram in Purba Bardhaman district and Lalgola in Murshidabad. Despite the orders of the Calcutta High Court that Central forces be deployed outside every polling booth, at several places in the State, there was no deployment of Central forces outside the polling booths. The State Election Commission, following the Calcutta High Court order, had sought 822 companies of Central forces but by July 8 morning only 649 companies of forces could arrive in the State. Sources said that the remaining forces could not reach the State on time because of the delay on the part of the SEC to requisition the forces and non-availability of adequate transport facilities. The remaining forces are likely to reach the State after voting ends. State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha said the Commission could deploy Central forces in only 15,000 polling booths, which is one fourth of the booths that went to the polls. Governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited parts of violence-affected North 24 Parganas. He said that he had been in the field right from the morning and people stopped his motorcade and told him about the widespread violence. BRS regime ‘most corrupt’, says PM Modi In a no-holds-barred attack on the ruling BRS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the people at the helm in the State dispensation of aiding and abetting corruption, earning the infamous distinction of the ‘most corrupt government’. “The tentacles of corruption spread to Delhi under the corruption-ridden family rule in the State,” Modi said while addressing a public meeting christened ‘Vijaya Sankalp Sabha’ in Hanamkonda. Modi virtually sounded the poll bugle for the Assembly elections due this yearend in the State. Earlier in the day, the PM prayed at the historic Bhadrakali temple in Warangal. He also laid the foundation stones of a slew of development projects worth ₹6,100 crore across various sectors including National Highways and also a Railway Manufacturing Unit, Kazipet. Telangana Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of Northeastern Region G. Kishan Reddy, Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay and others were present. The family rule in Telangana ruined the careers of lakhs of youths following the TSPSC exam question paper leak and the BRS regime betrayed all sections including farmers and unemployed youths by backtracking on its promises such as waiver of farm loans, jobs to the unemployed youths and unemployment allowance, Modi said. Lift ban on Internet services with safeguards: Manipur High Court The Manipur High Court on July 7 directed the Home Department of the Manipur government to lift the ban on providing Internet through Internet Lease Lines (ILLs) throughout the State to facilitate limited access to Internet services for the public and to consider Fibre to Home connections on a case to case basis, provided the safeguards put on record by the Expert Committee were met. Some of the safeguards agreed to by the Expert Committee and put forth by the State government for Internet access to be restored include limiting the speed to 10MB/s, securing undertakings from intended users that they will not do anything illegal, and subjecting the users to “physical monitoring by the concerned authority/officials”. The High Court’s directions came after an in-chamber hearing on July 7, which lasted several hours, and broadly are for restoring limited access to ILLs, which are dedicated internet connections not shared with other users — often used by enterprises, businesses, offices, institutes, etc. The second part of the directions are for Fibre-to-Home connections for personal users and the third part deals with the possibility of whitelisting mobile devices, for which, the state has been directed to conduct physical trials. Ukraine’s president hails the country’s soldiers from a Black Sea island to mark 500 days of war Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the 500th day of the war on July 8 by hailing the country’s soldiers in a video from a Black Sea island that became the symbol of Ukraine’s resilience in the face of the Russian invasion. Speaking from Snake Island, Zelensky honoured the Ukrainian soldiers who fought for the island and all other defenders of the country, saying that reclaiming control of the island “is a great proof that Ukraine will regain every bit of its territory.” “I want to thank – from here, from this place of victory – each of our soldiers for these 500 days,” Zelensky said. “Thank you to everyone who fights for Ukraine!” Russian forces took control of the tiny stone island on February 24, 2022, the day Moscow launched its invasion, in the apparent hope of using it as a staging ground for an assault on Odesa, Ukraine’s biggest port and the headquarters of its navy. The island took on legendary significance for Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion, when Ukrainian troops there reportedly received a demand from a Russian warship to surrender or be bombed. The answer supposedly came back, “Go (expletive) yourself.” Ukraine has celebrated the story with patriotic fervour, issuing a postage stamp in commemoration. Intense battles continued to rage on the day in the country’s east and south as Ukrainian forces pressed their attacks against multi-layered Russian defence in the initial stages of their counteroffensive. In Brief: Over 370 pilgrims enroute to the Amarnath cave shrine were evacuated and provided shelter by the Army on July 8, as intermittent heavy rains forced closure of the twin routes to the shrine in the Kashmir valley. “253 yatris at the Barari Marg Camp and 126 yatris at the Chandanwari camp are comfortable. Army columns are reassuring support. Timely help and necessary assistance are being provided by the Indian Army,” an Army spokesman said. The authorities suspended the pilgrimage for the second consecutive day on July 8 as wet weather turned the twin tracks in south and central Kashmir unfit for trekking of pilgrims. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 08 July 2023 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( West Bengal panchayat polls | 12 killed amid large-scale violence [At least 12 persons were killed as large-scale irregularities and violence was reported during the polling for the panchayat polls in West Bengal]( on July 8. Voting began at 7 a.m. and reports of snatching of ballot papers and clashes started coming since the morning. Among those killed were seven supporters of the Trinamool Congress, two each were from the BJP and the CPI(M) and one from the Congress. Four deaths were reported in Murshidabad district, two from Cooch Behar and Purba Bardhaman districts and one each from Nadia, Uttar Dinajpur and South 24 Parganas districts. Violence was reported from Rejinagar, Lalgola, Nowda and Khargram in Murshidbad. Two Trinamool Congress supporters also sustained bomb injuries at Domkal in the district. A BJP polling agent was killed in Cooch Behar. A Trinamool Congress candidate was killed at Chakulia in Uttar Dinajpur when he visited a polling booth. CPI(M) supporters were killed at Ausgram in Purba Bardhaman district and Lalgola in Murshidabad. Despite the orders of the Calcutta High Court that Central forces be deployed outside every polling booth, at several places in the State, there was no deployment of Central forces outside the polling booths. The State Election Commission, following the Calcutta High Court order, had sought 822 companies of Central forces but by July 8 morning only 649 companies of forces could arrive in the State. Sources said that the remaining forces could not reach the State on time because of the delay on the part of the SEC to requisition the forces and non-availability of adequate transport facilities. The remaining forces are likely to reach the State after voting ends. State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha said the Commission could deploy Central forces in only 15,000 polling booths, which is one fourth of the booths that went to the polls. Governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited parts of violence-affected North 24 Parganas. He said that he had been in the field right from the morning and people stopped his motorcade and told him about the widespread violence. BRS regime ‘most corrupt’, says PM Modi In a no-holds-barred attack on the ruling BRS, [Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the people at the helm in the State dispensation of aiding and abetting corruption]( earning the infamous distinction of the ‘most corrupt government’. “The tentacles of corruption spread to Delhi under the corruption-ridden family rule in the State,” Modi said while addressing a public meeting christened ‘Vijaya Sankalp Sabha’ in Hanamkonda. Modi virtually sounded the poll bugle for the Assembly elections due this yearend in the State. Earlier in the day, the PM prayed at the historic Bhadrakali temple in Warangal. He also laid the foundation stones of a slew of development projects worth ₹6,100 crore across various sectors including National Highways and also a Railway Manufacturing Unit, Kazipet. Telangana Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of Northeastern Region G. Kishan Reddy, Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay and others were present. The family rule in Telangana ruined the careers of lakhs of youths following the TSPSC exam question paper leak and the BRS regime betrayed all sections including farmers and unemployed youths by backtracking on its promises such as waiver of farm loans, jobs to the unemployed youths and unemployment allowance, Modi said. Lift ban on Internet services with safeguards: Manipur High Court The [Manipur High Court on July 7 directed the Home Department of the Manipur government to lift the ban on providing Internet through Internet Lease Lines (ILLs) throughout the State]( to facilitate limited access to Internet services for the public and to consider Fibre to Home connections on a case to case basis, provided the safeguards put on record by the Expert Committee were met. Some of the safeguards agreed to by the Expert Committee and put forth by the State government for Internet access to be restored include limiting the speed to 10MB/s, securing undertakings from intended users that they will not do anything illegal, and subjecting the users to “physical monitoring by the concerned authority/officials”. The High Court’s directions came after an in-chamber hearing on July 7, which lasted several hours, and broadly are for restoring limited access to ILLs, which are dedicated internet connections not shared with other users — often used by enterprises, businesses, offices, institutes, etc. The second part of the directions are for Fibre-to-Home connections for personal users and the third part deals with the possibility of whitelisting mobile devices, for which, the state has been directed to conduct physical trials. Ukraine’s president hails the country’s soldiers from a Black Sea island to mark 500 days of war [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the 500th day of the war on July 8 by hailing the country’s soldiers in a video from a Black Sea island]( that became the symbol of Ukraine’s resilience in the face of the Russian invasion. Speaking from Snake Island, Zelensky honoured the Ukrainian soldiers who fought for the island and all other defenders of the country, saying that reclaiming control of the island “is a great proof that Ukraine will regain every bit of its territory.” “I want to thank – from here, from this place of victory – each of our soldiers for these 500 days,” Zelensky said. “Thank you to everyone who fights for Ukraine!” Russian forces took control of the tiny stone island on February 24, 2022, the day Moscow launched its invasion, in the apparent hope of using it as a staging ground for an assault on Odesa, Ukraine’s biggest port and the headquarters of its navy. The island took on legendary significance for Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion, when Ukrainian troops there reportedly received a demand from a Russian warship to surrender or be bombed. The answer supposedly came back, “Go (expletive) yourself.” Ukraine has celebrated the story with patriotic fervour, issuing a postage stamp in commemoration. Intense battles continued to rage on the day in the country’s east and south as Ukrainian forces pressed their attacks against multi-layered Russian defence in the initial stages of their counteroffensive. In Brief: [Over 370 pilgrims enroute to the Amarnath cave shrine were evacuated and provided shelter by the Army on July 8]( as intermittent heavy rains forced closure of the twin routes to the shrine in the Kashmir valley. “253 yatris at the Barari Marg Camp and 126 yatris at the Chandanwari camp are comfortable. Army columns are reassuring support. Timely help and necessary assistance are being provided by the Indian Army,” an Army spokesman said. The authorities suspended the pilgrimage for the second consecutive day on July 8 as wet weather turned the twin tracks in south and central Kashmir unfit for trekking of pilgrims. 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