Bengal violence: Shah holds CM responsible; says her advice to gherao central forces provoked people

Hitting out at West Bengal Chief Minister Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the incidents of violence in Cooch Behar in which five persons were killed, including four in a firing by CISF personnel, Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that the CM's advice to gherao central forces instigated people to attack CISF (Central Industrial Security Force).

Speaking at a rally in Santipur, the home minister said attempts are being made to politicise Sitalkuchi killings. He made a request to the people of the state to celebrate the festival of democracy during the rest of the phases of polling.

The home minister urged people to create a history of peaceful polling in the state, and assured that after May 2, when the BJP government comes to power in the state, there will no longer be electoral or political violence in the state.

He said it was unfortunate to see appeasement politics even in case of deaths. Shah said while the chief minister condemned the deaths of four people, a fifth death, that of a voter by the name of Anand Burman was not condoled. Burman, a first-time voter was shot dead by unidentified persons outside a polling booth in West Bengal's Cooch Behar. He was dragged outside polling booth number 85 in Pathantuli area of Sitalkuchi while voting was underway and shot dead, a police officer said.

Shah alleged that Banerjee did appeasement politics by paying tributes to the people killed in the CISF firing but did not condole the death of the BJP worker, Barman, as he was from the Rajbongshi community who are not her vote bank. "Attempts are being made to politicise the Sitalkuchi killings. Mamata Banerjee had paid tributes to four persons who were killed in the CISF firing but did not condole the death of Anand Barman as he is a Rajbongshi and is not fit for her vote bank. It is very unfortunate to see appeasement politics even in case of deaths," he said.

Later, addressing the media after the roadshow in Santipur, he said an unfortunate incident had occurred during the polling in the state on Saturday. "A polling booth was attacked by some miscreants. They tried to snatch the weapons of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) but when the CAPF was forced to fire, four people lost their lives," he was quoted as saying.

Banerjee, while addressing a rally at Baneswar in Cooch Behar district on April 7, had alleged that CRPF personnel were harassing and killing people at Shah's behest. She had advised people to "form groups to gherao central forces and keep them busy by talking to them", while others will quickly go to polling stations and cast their votes.

—With PTI inputs