A CISF fast response workforce coming below assault throughout a safety patrol and damage to a baby within the commotion are said to have triggered the violence at a polling sales space in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district which left 4 individuals useless on Saturday, sources stated. Preliminary investigation revealed that a lot of native individuals, believed to be TMC supporters, gathered at sales space no 126 at Sitalkuchi in Mathabhanga space and had an altercation with the central forces in the course of the polling course of.
The firing befell round 9.35am at Assembly Constituency No 5 (Sitalkuchi), Booth No 126 in Amtali Madhyamik Shiksha Kendra below the Mathabhanga police station within the Cooch Behar district.
The Superintendent of police, Cooch Behar, Debashish Dhar, stated, “Trouble started when Quick Reaction Team (QRT) of CISF 567/C headed by company Commander Inspector E Sunil Kumar was attacked by a group 50 to 60 people while they were taking round to quell a group of agitated people who were resisting voters from reaching their respective polling booths. In the melee, one child fell down and miscreants started damaging the vehicle of QRT and attacked the QRT personnel. In self defence, the QRT reacted and fired six rounds in the air to quell the agitated local people. In the meantime, Deepak Kumar, DC Adhoc Commandant of 567 CISF, reached the spot and after pacifying the mob, he left the place,” an EC official stated.
He additional stated, “An hour later, another group of people (more than 150 in numbers) gathered in the area and went on mayhem. They manhandled the polling staff and assaulted a Home Guard and a Asha worker who were present on the duty at the booth. In the meantime, the CISF booth commander tried to pacify the mob but they forcibly entered the polling booth and ransacked whatever came their way. In the chaos, a section of them tried to snatch the weapons of the CISF personnel and in self defence the jawans fired two rounds in the air but the mob didn’t pay any heed to the warning. In the meantime, QRT of CISF and police also reached the spot. The mob further started advancing aggressively towards the CISF personnel and sensing imminent danger to their life they fired seven more rounds towards the advancing mob. While the above incident was going on, more police parties also arrived at the booth. It is reported that in self-defence they have also fired a few rounds.”
A senior EC official additionally corroborated the identical and stated, “A scuffle took place and locals tried to snatch arms and ammunition of the central forces and in self defence they opened fire to bring the situation under control. Total four people were killed in the firing and several others received injuries in the chaos. The polling has been suspended at booth number 126. The re-polling date will be announced later.”
Those who had been injured are being handled in an area hospital and extra central forces had been despatched to Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar to preserve the legislation and order state of affairs within the space.
The CISF is an armed police power below the Union Home Ministry and is tasked to guard main civil airports and important installations within the nation. It has deployed a number of firms for offering safety in the course of the eight-phased meeting polls in West Bengal.
Condemning the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee got here down closely on the central forces and blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for influencing the jawans who’re on ballot duties.
Addressing a public rally in Bongaon in North 24-Parganas, she stated, “The BJP is losing the election and therefore, on instruction of Amit Shah, central forces are killing my innocent people. Look at their audacity. They simply killed four people in Cooch Behar and blamed that they tried to snatch their rifles. It is a shame that Amit Shah has stooped to a new low. Sensing BJP’s defeat, he is asking the central forces to kill the innocent voters. We strongly condemned the incident and want Amit Shah’s resignation. The Home Minister should resign immediately.”
She stated, “I have been saying that Amit Shah has been influencing the central forces and our worst fears have come true with the Sitalkuchi firing incident. Tomorrow, I am going to Sitalkuchi where the firing took place and we will observe protest rallies across the State against Amit Shah and Narendra Modi’s anarchy in the country.”
Reacting to the Sitalkuchi firing incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a public assembly at Siliguri stated, “What happened in Cooch Behar is sad. I offer my condolences to bereaved families. I would like to request the Election Commission (EC) to take strict action against the accused persons. Such an incident clearly shows that Didi’s (Mamata) goons are frustrated.”
He stated, “Didi O didi, do you think jawans — who give befitting reply to Maoists and terrorists — will be scared of TMC goons?”
The District Police supply stated, the variety of casualties may rise additional as 4 individuals are in vital situation and preventing for his or her lives in an area hospital in Cooch Behar.
Mamata claimed that each one the victims had been TMC supporters they usually had been shot useless by the Central paramilitary personnel in order that her supporters mustn’t come out (due to worry) to train their voting rights within the fifth section.
However, the Election Commission maintained that the safety forces had been pressured to open fireplace to management the ‘organised’ mobilisation of the miscreants within the polling cubicles in Sitalkuchi. “Many jawans were also injured in the clash,” EC sources stated.
Polling is underway in whole 44 Assembly constituencies throughout 5 districts (Howrah, Hooghly, South 24 Parganas, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar) of West Bengal within the fourth section of the Assembly election on April 10.
Among the new seats are Sitalkuchi and Tollygunge constituency, the place BJP has fielded Baren Chandra Barman in opposition to TMC’s Partha Pratim Ray and Union Minister Babul Supriyo in opposition to sitting TMC MLA Aroop Biswas.
When contacted, TMC candidate from Sitalkuchi, Partha Pratim Ray, he broke down and stated, “People of North Bengal will never forgive anarchists like Amit Shah and Narendra Modi for their dictatorship style of functioning.”
He stated, “Four of our supporters were killed by the jawans and this happened on instruction of Amit Shah. Sensing their defeat, BJP is now conducting elections with the support of the central forces. I would like to request the people in North Bengal to unite against the evil forces like the BJP”.
The State BJP management blamed Mamata Banerjee for the incident, who had urged individuals to ‘gherao’ the Central forces from allegedly interfering within the polls.
Meanwhile, the TMC have determined to maintain protests in each block and ward of West Bengal over the firing in Cooch Behar on Sunday.
(With inputs from PTI)
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