The violence in West Bengal surrounding panchayat board formations is unfortunate, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Saturday.
"There should be free and fair polls in a democracy. Continued violence and killing of activists of opposition parties is unfortunate. Many candidates of opposition parties in Bengal were not allowed to file nominations in the panchayat elections, the senior BJP leader said on the launch of India Post Payments Bank's (IPPB) Kolkata branch inauguration.
Three persons have been killed and several injured including a three-year-old boy who was shot in the head in Malda district owing to clashes between political parties for the formation of panchayat boards in the state.
"There is right to dissent, right to oppose in the democracy. It was also unfortunate when supporters of an elected panchayat member were killed, Prasad added.