News Analysis India

Tag: Bengal poll firing

  • West Bengal elections: EC orders adjournment of polls at polling station no 126 at Sitalkuchi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI:  The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday ordered adjournment of polls at polling station number 126 in the Sitalkuchi Assembly constituency of West Bengal amid reports of violence. A spokesperson of the poll panel said the decision was based on an interim report filed by special observers.

    ALSO READ| TMC asks EC to act against BJP ‘goons’ creating ‘ruckus’ in Cooch Behar

    Detailed reports have been sought from them and the state Chief Electoral Officer by 5 pm. The decision comes against the backdrop of four persons being killed as central forces allegedly opened fire after coming under attack from locals, who “attempted to snatch their rifles”, in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district on Saturday.

    CLICK HERE FOR LIVE COVERAGE OF PHASE-IV OF BENGAL POLLS

    A senior district police officer said that the incident took place in the Sitalkuchi area when voting was underway. “According to preliminary reports, four persons were killed as CISF personnel opened fire after coming under attack in a village,” he said.

  • Bengal polls 2021: CM Mamata Banerjee demands Amit Shah’s resignation over firing incident

    By PTI
    BADURIA/ HINGALGANJ (WEST BENGAL): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday sought Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation over firing by central forces at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar, killing four people.

    ALSO READ| Bengal polls: PM Modi condoles death in CISF firing, blames Trinamool Congress for violence

    Banerjee, speaking at a public meeting at Baduria in North 24 Parganas, said she would be leaving for Cooch Behar after attending rallies, and would visit spot where central forces opened fire during polling.

    Appealing to people to remain calm, Banerjee alleged that central policemen shot dead people standing in a queue to vote and demanded “Shah should resign” owing responsibility for the incident “which is dastardly, cold-blooded and unprecedented”.

    She said TMC would bring out protest rallies throughout the state on Sunday and asked party activists to wear black badges and peacefully protest the killings from 2 pm to 4 pm. Earlier speaking at Hingalganj, the chief minister claimed “the central forces opened fire on people standing in a queue to vote, killing 4 in Sitalkuchi”.

    ALSO READ| TMC asks EC to act against BJP ‘goons’ creating ‘ruckus’ in Cooch Behar

    She said that she had long apprehended that the forces’ would act in such a manner. “As BJP knows it has lost the people’s mandate, they are conspiring to kill people,” Banerjee added. She alleged this was part of a conspiracy hatched by the Union home minister.

    “However, I would ask everyone to remain calm and cast their vote peacefully. Avenge the deaths by defeating them,” she said.

    Banerjee said that the death toll in this election was far higher than that in the Panchayat elections held three years ago. “If you count the total number of killings since the elections began some 17-18 persons were killed. At least 12 people belonged to our party alone,” he said.

    CLICK HERE FOR LIVE COVERAGE OF PHASE-IV OF BENGAL POLLS

    Banerjee said the EC too owed the people an explanation on today’s incident. “We are not in charge of the administration. The EC is in charge of administration. They have removed the senior IPS Surajit Kar Purakaystha. They have removed my OSD Ashok Chakraborty, who is a lower ranked retired officer from RPF. Yet the EC bringing in retired officers to oversee polls here,” she said.

  • Bengal polls 2021: PM Modi condoles death in CISF firing, blames Trinamool Congress for violence

    By PTI
    SILIGURI (WEST BENGAL): Condoling the death of four people in firing by central forces in Cooch Behar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday requested the Election Commission to take stern action against those responsible for the incident and blamed the ruling TMC for perpetrating violence during the polls.

    He also accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of instigating people against the central forces. “What happened in Cooch Behar is unfortunate and sad. I extend my condolences to the bereaved families and urge the Election Commission to take stern action against those responsible for the incident. Mamata Didi and her TMC goons have become jittery because of ground swell of support for BJP,” Modi told an election rally here in North Bengal.

    ALSO READ| EC orders adjournment of polls at polling station no 126 at Sitalkuchi

    Four persons were killed when CISF personnel opened fire allegedly after coming under attack from locals, who “attempted to snatch their rifles” in Cooch Behar district. A senior district police officer said that the incident took place in Sitalkuchi area when voting was underway.

    “Didi, this violence, the tactic of instigating people to attack the security forces, the tactic of obstructing the polling process will not protect you. You have to go out of power. Didi is asking people to attack and gherao security forces who are here to protect the rights of the people of the state,” he said.

    Attacking Banerjee over the culture of violence and “tolabaji” (extortion), Modi said people of Bengal had made up their mind to defeat the TMC. “Didi, you don’t preside over the destiny of the people of Bengal, they are not your ‘jagir’ (fiefdom),” he said.

    ALSO READ| Trinamool Congress seeks explanation from EC over death of  four in firing

    He said that North Bengal was critical to national security which has been undermined due to appeasement politics of Banerjee.

    Reaching out to the numerically strong Dalit Rajbongshi and Matua communities, Modi said the TMC insults them, and claimed a party leader was shown in a video likening the scheduled caste people to beggars.

  • West Bengal poll firing: Trinamool Congress seeks explanation from EC over death of four

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal on Saturday sought explanation from the Election Commission over the death of four persons, who were shot allegedly by central forces at Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district during the fourth phase of assembly elections.

    ALSO READ| TMC asks EC to act against BJP ‘goons’ creating ‘ruckus’ in Cooch Behar

    “We are sad to say with deep concern that firing by central forces has left four dead and four injured at Mathabhanga. We also want to say that the central forces are committing crimes and crossing all limits. The EC should come out with an explanation,” TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen said.

    Central Forces opened fire twice. In Block 1 of Mathabhanga (Cooch Behar) 1 was killed & 3 injured, in Sitalkuchi block, 3 were killed & 1 injured. Central Forces are doing injustice to people & they’ve crossed limits. When CM called them out, EC issued her notices: Dola Sen, TMC pic.twitter.com/pHcR1Ymx0f
    — ANI (@ANI) April 10, 2021

    Sen said when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had pointed to the excesses of the central forces, she was twice issued a showcause notice. “Now, the people of the state want to showcause the EC about how this unfortunate event unfolded,” she said.

    CLICK HERE FOR LIVE COVERAGE OF PHASE-IV OF BENGAL POLLS

    The TMC leader said the BJP is playing mind games and resorting to pressure tactics. “Mamata Banerjee has already won the Nandigram seat by a huge margin. BJP is merely selling a dream to its party workers,” Sen said.

    She also shared clippings of purported videos, one of which showed central forces vandalising TMC camps at night.