Bengal Police on Wednesday lodged an FIR against Sayantan Basu, BJP state general secretary and candidate from the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, for making incendiary remarks at a rally on Tuesday.
“On polling day Central forces will be asked to shoot troublemakers in the chest and not in the leg,” Basu said at a rally in Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday, triggering controversy instantly.
He also said that women in Basirhat will hack troublemakers with hatchets used for cutting coconuts.
“I promise that on poll day troublemakers may come running but will leave on khatia (beds used in rural areas to carry the sick or dead). Policemen are working for Trinamool Congress. They will not be allowed to leave police stations. Only Central forces will be on the streets,” Basu said at the election rally.
Trinamool and CPI (M) leaders demanded action against Basu and even Election Commission has sought a report from the administration.
On Wednesday, an FIR was filed at Basirhat police station under sections 115 (abetment of offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life), 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant), 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 171C (undue influence at elections), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code and section 125 (promoting enmity between classes in connection with election) of Representation of the People Act.
{{/usCountry}}On Wednesday, an FIR was filed at Basirhat police station under sections 115 (abetment of offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life), 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant), 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 171C (undue influence at elections), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code and section 125 (promoting enmity between classes in connection with election) of Representation of the People Act.
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Basu remained nonchalant and he was ready to face any consequence but would not retract his statement. “Let Mamata Banerjee’s administration arrest me. We will not stop as long as action is not taken against those who are creating trouble and intimidating our voters,” he said.
BJP state president Dilip Ghosh also targeted the state police while addressing a rally at Mathabhanga in north Bengal on Wednesday. “People of Bengal are not allowed to exercise their democratic right. In this election we will not allow state police to bully voters on behalf of the ruling party,” Ghosh said.
Located not far from the Indo-Bangladesh border, Basirhat has a sizeable Muslim population and witnessed communal violence in July 2017.