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News Desk: Addressing a press conference in Siliguri, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the violence in Sitalkuchi. She claimed that the union home minister himself is the conspirator behind the violence and she also demanded her resignation.
She said “Home Minister Amit Shah is completely responsible for today’s incident and he himself is the conspirator. I don’t blame central forces because they work under Home Minister’s order. We will demand his resignation”
“Why is Home Minister supplying guns and goons from Delhi? India is a democratic country, no one can get votes by threatening people. It was PM’s responsibility to meet the family members of the deceased. Isn’t he ashamed? He is giving clean chit. It’s a matter of shame. I condemn his attitude” she added.
She further added “I will be going to Mathabhanga hospital tomorrow at 10 am and from there I will go to Alipurduar. I couldn’t go to Cooch Behar today due to the Model Code of Conduct as polling is going on there. I will talk to the CS and who so ever is killed in this election they will get some relief from the state government. All the people who are appointed are posted by ECI and recommended by BJP. The SP was changed by EC to win the election. If TMC doesn’t come to power in West Bengal then Bengal will not be saved. We will order CID probe into firing by central forces on voters at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar”
Sitalkuchi Violence
As stated by the CISF, its Quick Reaction Team (QRT) was attacked by a mob comprising of 50-60 miscreants at polling booth no. 126 -Jorpatki in Cooch Behar’s Sitalkuchi. The miscreants then attacked the QRT personnel and their vehicles forcing the latter to act in self-defence and fired six rounds in the air to disperse the crowd. The mob returned after an hour yet again and assaulted the Home guard and an Asha worker and also allegedly attempted to beat up the polling staff who were on duty.
CISF said that the mob then started approaching the CISF personnel following which seven rounds were fired at the mob. After more polling party arrived at the spot, a few rounds were fired after which the crowd was dispersed. This resulted in 5 to 6 miscreants sustaining fatal injuries out of which some of them succumbed to their injuries. Meanwhile, the EC adjourned the poll in polling booth no.126 based on the interim report from Special Observers. Additionally, the poll body has sought detailed reports from them and the WB Chief Electoral Officer by 5 pm. While TMC has accused the Central Armed Police Forces of committing a “cold-blooded murder” besides injuring three other innocent people in the Sitalkuchi, BJP has held TMC responsible alleging that a TMC mob gheraoed the Central forces.
