Amit Shah is responsible for Cooch Behar firing incident, don't blame central forces: Mamata

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the violence during polling in the fourth phase of election in West Bengal.

PTI photo

New Delhi: As news of violence during voting in the fourth phase of election in West Bengal is being reported the blame game between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has escalated rising tension in the region. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee squarely put the blame on Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 

"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,"  Banerjee said while addressing a rally in Siliguri on Saturday, as per a report by ANI.

As many as five people have been killed during poll violence in two separate incidents.

Meanwhile, Election Commission (EC) adjourned polls at polling station number 126 in the Sitalkuchi Assembly constituency of West Bengal after the reports of violence. A spokesperson of the poll panel said the decision was based on an interim report filed by special observers. A detailed report has been sought from them and the state Chief Electoral Officer.

Nearly four persons were killed in Sitalkuchi in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district after the central forces allegedly came under attack from the locals while voting was underway. The CISF opened fire at the locals who purportedly 'attempted to snatch their rifles'.  

In another incident, violence first broke out when two unidentified men on a motorcycle fired at a queue of voters, killing one person, a police official was quoted by Reuters. 

TMC writes to EC

Trinamool Congress wrote to the EC over the incident which lead ot the death of four persons, who were shot allegedly by central forces at Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district. "We are sad to say with deep concern that firing by central forces has left four dead and four injured at Mathabhanga. We also want to say that the central forces are committing crimes and crossing all limits. The EC should come out with an explanation," TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen said.

As per reports, Trinamool Congress supremo and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit Sitalkuchi to take stock of the situation. She will reportedly board a flight at 3:15 pm today. The Trinamool Congress in West Bengal is planning to hold a protest over the incident and demand resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah over the Cooch Behar firing in which five people lost their lives.

"Mamata Banerjee has already won the Nandigram seat by a huge margin. BJP is merely selling a dream to its party workers," Sen said. She also shared clippings of purported videos, one of which showed central forces vandalising TMC camps at night.