News Analysis India

Tag: Cooch Behar

  • Bengal poll booth violence: CM Mamata Banerjee questions central forces’ version, orders CID probe

    By PTI
    SILIGURI (WEST BENGAL): Questioning the central forces’ version of firing on voters in self-defence in Cooch Behar that killed four people, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said her government will initiate a CID probe into the incident.

    ALSO READ| Mahayagya of ‘Asol Paribartan’ will begin in West Bengal from May 2: PM Modi

    Banerjee said there is no video footage or any other proof to substantiate claims of the central forces. “Where does this theory come from? Who was injured on their part? Is there any footage? After killing those people, they were supporting the act. A CID probe will be initiated to find out the circumstances behind the incident,” she told reporters here.

    Four people were killed as central forces opened fire allegedly after coming under attack from locals, who “attempted to snatch their rifles”, police said.

    ALSO READ| West Bengal elections: EC orders adjournment of polls at polling station no 126 at Sitalkuchi

    Banerjee reiterated her demand for the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the firing incident in Cooch Behar, and wondered whose “direct interference into the functioning of the Election Commission and central forces” led to the excesses.

  • Bengal poll booth violence: Sources cite ‘attack on CISF QRT, injury to child’ as reason

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A CISF quick reaction team coming under attack during a security patrol and injury to a child in the commotion are stated to have triggered the violence at a polling booth in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district which left four people dead on Saturday, official sources said.

    They said it all started around 9:35 AM when a CISF team, led by an Inspector-rank officer, was inspecting the Jor Patki area of Sitalkuchi constituency jointly with the local police with an aim to “clear the elements which were resisting” the voters from reaching the polling booth no 126 at Amtali Madhyamik Shiksha Kendra and other locations nearby.

    The security personnel intervened to stop this crowd of about 50-60 people, and in this commotion a child fell down. After this, some “miscreants” attacked the four-wheeler carrying the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) quick reaction team (QRT) and the personnel on-board, the sources said.

    “The QRT reacted in self-defence and fired six rounds in air to disperse the mob. Later, a Deputy Commandant rank officer and in-charge of the CISF unit (567/Charlie Company) reached the spot and pacified the mob. He later left,” a senior officer said.

    About an hour later, the officials said, a group of about 150 people reached the polling booth no 186 in the vicinity, and “manhandled the polling staff”. The crowd allegedly beat up a homeguard jawan and an ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) worker and also tried to snatch the weapon of the on-duty CISF personnel when they intervened, they said.

    The officials said that as the mob got “aggressive”, two rounds were fired in the air. But sensing the “imminent danger to their life”, the security personnel fired another seven bullet rounds towards the crowd. Four people were killed in the firing by the central forces, police said.

    In the meantime, a CISF QRT and some reinforcements from the local police reached the spot, they said, adding the polling was halted even as the crowd began to melt soon. In Delhi, the Election Commission later ordered the adjournment of polls at polling station number 126 in the Sitalkuchi Assembly constituency.

    The Central Industrial Security Force is an armed police force under the Union Home Ministry and is tasked to guard major civil airports and vital installations in the country. It has deployed multiple companies for providing security during the eight-phased assembly polls in West Bengal.

  • PM Modi on Cooch Behar violence- Didi and his goons uncontrollable seeing public support in favor of BJP

    In the fourth round of voting in West Bengal today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a public meeting in Siliguri. During this, PM Modi lashed out at Mamta Banerjee, referring to the violence in Cooch Behar. He said that what has happened in Cooch Behar meanwhile, is very sad. I grieve over the deaths of those who have died. My condolences to his family. Seeing public support in favor of BJP, the fury of Didi and her goons is becoming uncontrollable. PM Modi further said that upon seeing his chair go, Didi has come down to this level. Didi and TMC will not be allowed to run in Bengal. My request to the Election Commission is that the culprits of what happened in Cooch Behar should be dealt with the harshest.

    These are the self-respecting sisters of Bengal who, despite all their grief and suffering, eat their hard work, bear the hardships of their self-respect, but do not give up self-respect. A few days ago in Siliguri, Didi said that her tolabas only take 100-500 rupees, what a big deal in this! Didi did not give the right to the poor, dalits, tribals, backward to anyone. Didi did not provide water from the tap in the house, did not provide irrigation water to the fields, but the rivers here were handed over to the mafia. Touchabaji in every scheme, Katamani in every scheme. Didi did not get angry at the goons who persecuted the poor for 10 years, the murderers, the robbers, the robbers. But Didi is angry at the security forces who are protecting the rights of the people of Bengal. Seeing his defeat in front, Didi’s anger keeps growing on me. Seeing the affection of the people of Bengal on me, Didi is also angry with the people of Bengal. A video has surfaced in which a leader close to Didi has insulted the Scheduled Caste. He said that the Schedule Caste community, which is a Scheduled Caste in Bengal, behaves like beggars. The people of Bengal have decided that you must go. The people of Bengal are going to die only after taking you out. You will not go alone. Your entire gang is about to be removed by the public. Sister, O Sister! People of Bengal will stay here. If you have to go, then you have to go to the government. Didi you are not the fate of the people of Bengal. The people of Bengal are not your fiefdom.

  • TMC asks EC to act against BJP ‘goons’ creating ‘ruckus’ in Cooch Behar

    By ANI
    KOLKATA: Alleging that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ‘goons’ were creating a ruckus outside several polling booths in Cooch Behar, All India Trinamool Congress on Saturday wrote a mail to the Election Commission urging it to take necessary action on the ‘recurring issue’.

    In the mail signed by TMC MP Derek O’Brien, the party said that ‘BJP goons’ were ‘preventing’ TMC agents from entering the booths in four constituencies in the Cooch Behar district.

    “It is to bring to your notice that across several booths in the following assembly constituencies (Satalkuchi: Booth no 02, 38, 131, 137, 287, 127; Natalbari: Booth no 241, 176, 177; Tufanganj: Booth no 178, 187; Dinhata: Booth No: 237, 228, 229) in Cooch Behar, the BJP goons are creating a ruckus outside the booth and preventing the TMC agents from entering the booth,” the mail said.

    TMC said it is a clear violation of the law and against the ethos of free and fair elections, and requested the EC to “escalate this recurring issue and take necessary actions at the earliest possible as it is delaying the election process.”