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5 deaths on poll day intensifies slugfest in Bengal; Modi, Mamata sharpen rhetoric
The slugfest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) intensified rapidly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Mamata Banerjee sharpening their attacks against each other and
Five deaths, one in an alleged murder and four in firing by central armed police forces, at the Sitalkuchi assembly segment of north Bengal’s Cooch Behar district, drastically changed the volatile situation in the state on Saturday as polls in the fourth phase were held at 44 constituencies in five districts of north and south Bengal.
The slugfest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) intensified rapidly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Mamata Banerjee sharpening their attacks against each other and the latter accusing Union home minster Amit Shah of conspiring with the central forces that had led to the firing at polling booth no 126 in the Jarpukti area of Sitalkuchi in which four people were killed. They were identified as Hamidul Haque, Manirul Haque, Noor Alam and Amjad Hussain, all in their mid-20s, TMC leaders said.
Addressing a rally at Siliguri in north Bengal, Modi indirectly accused Banerjee for the deaths saying she had been instigating the people.
“What happened in Cooch Behar is very sad. I condole the death of those who died. My sympathies with their families. The popularity of the BJP has made Didi (Banerjee) and her ruffians nervous. Didi has come down to this level on seeing her chair in danger. I would like to send out a clear message to Didi, TMC and their ruffians that their autocracy will not be allowed anymore,” said Modi.
“I appeal to the EC to take strong action against those responsible for the Cooch Behar violence. Didi, instigating the people against the central forces, the violence, efforts to disrupt the polling et al cannot save you. This violence cannot protect you from your misdeeds done over 10 years.”
Addressing the media in Siliguri, Banerjee said, “The killings were planned. How come not a single news channel captured the incident. The whole thing was planned by the Union home minister. Some people captured the incident on their phones but the videos were deleted. Amit Shah must resign right now. I have nothing to say against the central forces. They are working under instruction. Before every election the central forces are creating terror, assaulting women. All the officers posted in the region were selected by the EC. Who should be held accountable?”
“I have never seen a Prime Minister who lies so much. He had three helicopters. Wasn’t it his duty to visit the spot?” she said.
“Bengal is under an undeclared President’s rule. They first changed the director general of police, and then started transferring police officers against our will. Our government is still here. Even the Cooch Behar superintendent of police was changed. We will get the incident probed by the CID,” she added.
While the Cooch Behar superintendent of police, Debasish Dhar and central force officials said the shots were fired when around 350 villagers attacked the CAPF personnel and tried to snatch their rifles, Banerjee alleged that the dead men were innocent voters who were waiting in a queue inside the polling station. Since these men were all Muslims, the incident added to the political tension. Banerjee alleged that Ananda Barman, the 18-year-old Hindu who was shot dead, allegedly by two motorcycle-borne men, near a polling booth at Pathantuli in Sitalkuchi, was also killed by central forces.
“How can a ruffian commit murder and give a clean chit to himself. Killing voters is akin to killing democracy. The EC’s Police observer Vivek Dubey is a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. He was in charge of West Bengal even during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Don’t you have any other officer? I appeal to the state and international media to focus on these issues,” said Banerjee calling the Cooch Behar SP “a BJP man”.
“I am asking people to cast a vote for every bullet fired and throw the BJP out of Bengal. People should cast their votes in larger numbers,” she said at a rally in North 24 Parganas district earlier in the day.
In Siliguri, Modi said, “The Bengal Didi had suppressed using terror is seeking ashol poribartan (real change). After each phase of polling Didi is getting more nervous.
Didi, people of Bengal will stay here. You have to go. You are not the God of the people. The people are not your property. They have decided that you have to go. You are not going alone. Your entire gang is going. The extortionists will go. The syndicates will go. Your corruption in north Bengal will also go. Your politics of appeasement will also go,” said Modi.
The Left parties attacked the BJP and TMC for the deaths in police firing.
Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said, “We condemn the death of the voters. This requires a judicial inquiry. It is apparent that steps that should have been taken before the incident were not taken. Certain messages were sent by the Prime Minister and chief minister from their rallies. The CAPF is not acting impartially. Wasn’t there any scope of using batons or tear gas? We want a transparent report from the EC.”
