Sitalkuchi firings spurs war of words between BJP, Didi

BJP's Rahul Sinha (L), West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (C), and BJP West Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh. Credit: PTI Photos

A war of words between the BJP leaders and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the deaths of four people in a firing by Central forces in Cooch Behar’s Sitalkuchi continued on Monday.

Former State BJP president Rahul Sinha said that if necessary the Central forces could have shot more than four persons to stop rigging. Reacting to his comments Mamata said that such persons should be banned from politics.

“Goons backed by the TMC supremo are gunning down BJP supporters at polling booths. They are snatching the voting rights of the common people. The Central forces did the right thing by opening fire on these goons,” said Sinha.

“The Central forces in the process of stopping rigging could have shot dead more than four people, perhaps seven or eight, if required,” said Sinha.

Read | EC bars Mamata Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hrs; TMC calls it black day for democracy

His comments come a day after state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said that if anyone tries to cross the limit there will be “many more Sitalkuchis.”

Lashing out at Sinha and Ghosh, the TMC supremo said that “leaders of a party are threatening of more incidents like Sitalkuchi, while others are saying that the death toll should have been higher. I am shocked. What do they want? They should be banned from politics.” She was addressing a rally at Ranaghat in Nadia district.

She further alleged that the saffron party was killing its own workers and damaging the vehicle of its leader to “malign” the TMC.

“The BJP is a party of killers. Before they hatched a conspiracy to kill four persons in firing by the CISF, they murdered a Ranbonshi youth,” said Mamata.

Also Read | Cooch Behar incident part of Didi’s ‘chappa vote master plan’: PM

Alleging that the BJP was trying to communalise the incident, Mamata said that “you cannot succeed in your plan to divide the people of Bengal. Remember, this is not Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh.”

She further alleged Union Home Minister Amit Shah hatched a conspiracy which resulted in the Sitalkuchi firings in full knowledge of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I will order an investigation into it and find out who was behind it, how it happened, and whether there was any rumour involved in it,” said Mamata.