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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nNEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata party<\/a> on Thursday hit out at the All India Trinamool Comgress (TMC), dismissing the latter allegations on postal ballot box tampering. On the accusations that the BJP \u201cin active collusion\u201d with the Election Commission<\/a> \u201cis opening ballot boxes without the presence of any relevant party stakeholders\u201d, BJP leader Tapas Roy said that the ruling party leaders \u201care spreading rumours\u201d as they \u201care preparing ground for their defeat\u201d in the assembly polls.Roy arrived at Netaji Indoor Stadium as TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a protest over the allegations. \u201cWe will deploy two persons to look after the strong room…They (TMC) are just spreading rumours as they are preparing ground for their defeat…Three-layer security arrangements are here,\u201d he told reporters, as quoted by ANI.“They cannot do this. They cannot assemble in front of the strong room. No sit-in demonstration or slogan shouting should happen in front of a strong room. This is wrong. Why did the Kolkata Police allow it?…What manipulation are they (TMC) accusing us of? Two of us had come here when we heard about it. We came when we were told to visit here,” he added.This came as TMC leader Shashi Panja accused BJP leaders of creating a ruckus, saying the protest had been peaceful before their arrival. \u201cWe were sitting on the dharna peacefully…BJP leaders created a ruckus here,\u201d she said.TMC leader Kunal Ghosh also levelled allegations against the BJP, questioning why he and others were not allowed entry while Roy was. \u201cWe were removed, but Tapas da went inside. What do you call this? That is like their own party office. These agent central police with the BJP people… it is not in the hands of the Kolkata police; even the Kolkata police personnel are now all appointed by the Election Commission. As a result, our... Hey, if he is a candidate, we are also candidates. Will you remove a candidate?\u201d he said.\u201cWe were there in a peaceful manner. They were here with the intention of stealing; they were working here secretly, opening the strong room without informing anyone before our people reached. After Dr. Panja, I, and our team arrived, we intervened and brought this to attention. Even then, we were not allowed to enter. Later, when we were sitting peacefully, and our work and discussions were going on, the BJP came and caused trouble. Why is the BJP so envious?\u201d he added.The matter escalated when , the TMC put forward their accusations against the BJP, calling it \u201cthe murder of democracy in broad daylight\u201d.In a post on X, the party also shared a video and described the alleged \u201copening of ballot boxes\u201d as gross electoral fraud. \u201cALARMING This is the murder of democracy in broad daylight. CCTV footage has exposed how @BJP4India, in active collusion with the @ECISVEEP, is opening ballot boxes without the presence of any relevant party stakeholders. This is gross electoral fraud being committed openly with the full knowledge and protection of the Election Commission,\u201d the party said.The party further accused the BJP of trying \u201cevery dirty trick\u201d to defeat it in the assembly polls and \u201cstooping to tampering with EVMs\u201d in desperation. \u201cThey have tried every dirty trick, name deletion, voter intimidation, Central Force terror, cash flooding, and failed miserably. Now, in sheer desperation, they have stooped to tampering with EVMs. But Bengal is not Maharashtra, Delhi, or Bihar. We will not sit silently and watch them loot our democracy,\u201d it said.The development comes a day after the second and final phase of polling in West Bengal, which recorded a voter turnout of 92.67 per cent. Votes are scheduled to be counted on May 4.<\/div>\n