As voters in West Bengal cast their votes in the fourth phase of the assembly election on Saturday (10 April), four people were killed and four others were injured in firing by security forces in Cooch Behar. The security forces opened fire as they were ‘gheraoed’ (surrounded) and attacked by Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters .
Just before the start of the fourth phase of the assembly election Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked her supporters to gherao central security forces. The Election Commission had earlier issued notice to Mamata Banerjee on Friday to explain her remarks alleging that the central security forces were supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that she had made in a public rally in Cooch Behar.
The EC in its notice said, “Ms Banerjee is not realising that this kind of statement can create a wedge of distrust between the state police of West Bengal, who are also doing their own duty with the central forces, instead of complementing each other… Far more discouraging is the fact that Ms Banerjee has been trying to make an emotional pitch for the women voters to go to the extent of inciting them to attack the person of central police forces.”
As per reports, around 300 people gheraoed the security forces and attempted to snatch their rifles. The mob also attacked the polling staff. The Trinamool Congress has alleged that the people killed were TMC voters.
Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, tweeted, “Heart wrenching reports of 5 innocent people shot dead by Central Forces coming in from Cooch Behar,”. He, however, conveniently forgot that it was his aunt who had asked her supporters to attack the Central Forces in the first place.
Heart wrenching reports of 5 innocent people shot dead by Central Forces coming in from Coochbehar. @AmitShah is this your vision for Bengal when u call for turning Bengal into ‘SonarBangla’ ?
— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) April 10, 2021
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pranab Roy said Mamata Banerjee should be blamed for such unfortunate incidents as she had herself instigated people against the central forces.
An official from the EC said that “re-polling will be held in booth no 126/5 in Sitalkuchi area” of the district, in view of the unfortunate incident. A total of 44 seats are up for grab in this phase as the spectre of more violence grows in West Bengal.
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