Didi, Shah lock horns over election violence, deaths

| | Nadia
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Didi, Shah lock horns over election violence, deaths

Monday, 12 April 2021 | Saugar Sengupta | Nadia

Didi, Shah lock horns over election violence, deaths

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday termed the death of four persons in Central forces firing at Sitalkuchi a “genocide” demanding the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah, who hit back faulting her for “playing appeasement politics even with deaths.”

Talking to the media men in Siliguri, Mamata, who put on a black cloth around her as a mark of protest against what she called a “pre-planned murder of innocent people”, said, “This is genocide… I have seen the pictures… that they (central forces) had simply sprayed the bullets instead of shooting at foot and thigh only goes on to prove that they were firing to kill… how is it that all the victims bore injuries to their neck or chest… It is a genocide.”

The Chief Minister had decided to immediately visit Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district — where four persons died on Saturday after Central forces fired at a crowd of 300-400 people who had attacked a polling booth. But she had to postpone her journey by three days after the Election Commission put a 72-hours-ban on all politicians from entering the district.

At Shantipur in Nadia district where the Home Minister led a massive roadshow, he hit back at the Chief Minister wondering why she referred to four deaths only though there was another death this time of a BJP supporter who was shot dead by Trinamool Congress miscreants in the same constituency.

“Every death is sad but why is it that Mamata Didi has to play politics of appeasement with every death… in referring to the firing deaths on Saturday she forgot to mention the name of Ananda Barman a Rajbangshi boy who was a first-time voter and who was shot dead by the TMC goons in the same constituency… Is Didi not referring to him because he comes from Rajbangshi community… and does not fit into her vote bank politics,” Shah said.

Holding Mamata responsible for the firing deaths, Shah said, “Her advice to the people to gherao the Central forces and then vote had instigated them which is why the villagers at Sitalkuchi tried to attack them and the forces had to open fire in self-defence.”

On Saturday, around morning, the CISF opened fire on an alleged a crowd of 300-400 people killing four and another person injured at booth number 126 at Jorpatki in Sitalkuchi constituency.

The Special Police Observer appointed by the Election Commission, Vivek Dube, sent a report saying the CISF had to fire in self-defencewhen villagers tried to snatch their weapons as they were trying to escort 50-60 voters to the polling booth after they were driven away from the booth by reported miscreants who did not want them to vote. There was a misunderstanding between villagers and the CISF, he had said.

“Is CISF trained to control mobs … besides it is a general rule that the forces should first use batons, then water cannons or other methods before firing … even firing should be done below the waist,” she said adding “it is an unprecedented incident … I wanted to go to Sitalkuchi today but EC has issued a 72-hour ban. I will go and meet the victim families on the 14th … I will visit that place after that,” Mamata said even as she spoke to Manjur Mian, a relative of Hamidul Mian, one of the victims, over the telephone.

She earlier had demanded the resignation of Amit Shah saying “the entire dirty game is being played by him … the killing of innocent people was the result of a conspiracy hatched by him … heshould resign.”

Requesting the people of Bengal to celebrate the festival of democracy peacefully, Shah said “Mamata Didi has asked me to resign …

I will definitely put in my paper if the people of Bengal want me to do so… But one thing is for sure that she will have to resign on May 2 when the election results come out … she will have to submit her resignation to the Governor on that day.”

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