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EC issues notice to Dilip Ghosh, asks explanation on Cooch Behar killings statement

He had said that more Cooch Behar-like killings may happen in the next phase

40-Dilip-Ghosh Dilip Ghosh

The Election Commission of India issued West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh a notice, asking him to explain his statement on the Cooch Behar violence. Ghosh had courted controversy by saying that more Cooch Behar-like killings may happen in the next phase of assembly elections if "naughty boys like the ones who died in Sitalkuchi" try to take the law into their hands. "Naughty boys received bullets at Sitalkuchi. If anyone dares to take the law into his hands, this will happen to him also," Ghosh said without elaborating on the phrase 'naughty boys'. "The naughty boys, who had presumed that the rifles of the central forces were just for a show during election duty, will not dare repeat the same mistake after seeing what happened in Sitalkuchi," he said, while addressing an election rally at Baranagar in North 24 Parganas district.

Four persons died as CISF personnel opened fire after some people "attempted to snatch their rifles" while voting was underway in Sitalkuchi assembly constituency area in the fourth phase on Saturday.

Strongly reacting to the BJP leader's statement, TMC had demanded his arrest while the CPI(M) said the comment "unmasks the saffron party's fascist face". "We demand his immediate arrest for making such an inflammatory statement which will encourage trigger happy forces and threaten the safety of voters," TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy told reporters. Left Front leader Sujan Chakraborty, also the CPI(M) candidate in the Jadavpur seat, said, "Dilip Ghosh is making irresponsible statements. His comment unmasks the fascist face of the BJP."

-Inputs from PTI

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