
TMC Supremo, Mamata Banerjee on Saturday sought Union Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation over firing by central forces at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar, killing four persons. Trinamool Congress supremo, Mamata Banerjee, at a public meeting at Baduria in North 24 Parganas, said that “she would be leaving for Cooch Behar after attending rallies, and would visit the spot where central forces opened fire during polling”. Over this issue, The police earlier had said that “The four persons were killed as central forces opened fire allegedly after coming under attack from locals, who “attempted to snatch their rifles.”Responding to this, the Election Commission ordered to stop the voting exercise at polling station number 126 in Sitalkuchi where the incident had happened. Further, Banerjee pronounced that her government would initiate a CID probe into the incident. She said that “Where does this theory (of firing in self-defense) come from? Who was injured on their part? Is there any footage? After killing those people, they were supporting the act.”
Some sources relieved the fact that the preliminary report submitted by EC’s special police observer Vivek Dubey said that “a mob of around 350-400 people had gheraoed the central forces, succeeding which they fired in “self-defense”. Further, this incident led to violence in the area where bombs were hurled, prompting central forces to baton-charge to bring the situation under control. Banerjee appealed to people to remain calm. She alleged that “the 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 the “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. the central forces opened fire on people standing in a queue to vote, killing four in Sitalkuchi." She asserted that she had long apprehended that the forces' would act in such a manner. She further added that "As BJP knows it has lost the people's mandate, they are conspiring to kill people.” She accused the Union home minister of this part of a conspiracy hatched by him. Banerjee further said that "However, I would ask everyone to remain calm and cast their vote peacefully. Avenge the deaths by defeating them. 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. We are not in charge of the administration, but the EC is. 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.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested the Election Commission to take strict action against those responsible for the incident and blamed the ruling TMC for enacting violence during the polls. He also alleged Banerjee instigating people against the central forces. PM Modi said in an election rally in North Bengal’s Siliguri that “What happened in Cooch Behar is unfortunate and sad. I extend my condolences to the bereaved families. Mamata Didi and her TMC goons have become jittery because of the groundswell of support for BJP,”