The ECI on Saturday banned leaders of all political parties from entering Cooch Behar for the next 72 hours. The order will be implemented by the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, the poll panel said directing as well that all campaigning ahead of the fifth phase of elections on April 17 would end in 72 hours — instead of 48 hours — before the polling started.
Incidentally, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had condemnedthe firing that killed 4 persons and injured five others. earlier saidthat she would visit the bereaved family at Sitalkuchi block in CoochBehar on Sunday. She also directed a CID investigation into the firingbefore demanding Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation alleging it wasunder his instruction that the central forces had fired at thevillagers killing 4 of them.Condemning the ECI decision senior TMC leader Saugato Roy said thatthe order itself smacked of prejudicial attitude of the poll panel.“As the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had planned to meet thebereaved family members on Sunday… But the ECI which is acting at theinstance of the BJP stopped her from doing so. It was her duty as theChief Minister to stand by them at their hour of grief.”
