Cooch Behar incident result of conspiracy hatched by BJP to intimidate voters — Mamata

Rajganj/Nagrakota/Chalsa, April 11 (PTI): Urging people not to vote for “trigger-happy BJP”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday claimed that the tragedy in Cooch Behar was the “result of a conspiracy” hatched by the saffron party to intimidate voters.

Amid polling for the fourth phase of elections on Saturday, four persons died in Sitalkuchi area of Cooch Behar when CISF personnel opened fire allegedly after coming under attack from locals, who “attempted to snatch their rifles”, the police had said.

The TMC supremo, who addressed three rallies in Jalpaiguri district during the day, also stated that BJP leaders, who have come out in support of the central forces, should sit back and reflect if they would have had the same stance if someone in their families met with a similar fate.

“I have video footage that shows some BJP leaders are speaking in favour of the central forces after the firing incident. You (BJP leaders) don’t feel sad if sons die in other families. What if it had happened to someone in your family,” Banerjee said in Rajganj.

Hitting out at the accused CISF personnel, she said, “If you think someone is causing nuisance, speak to him, you also have lathis. How can you suddenly point your gun at the torso and neck of voters?”

Describing the incident as “murder of democracy”, Banerjee pointed out that the EC has stopped her and other politicians from visiting Sitalkuchi for 72 hours at the “behest of the BJP”.

“You can stop me from visit Sitalkuchi or for that matter any other place, but I will find a way out to be on the side of the distressed people.”

She asserted that “for every bullet, reply will be given in votes”.

Banerjee, who wore a black scarf to condemn the Cooch Behar incident, paid floral tribute to those killed in the firing at a makeshift memorial built next to the stage in Nagrakota.

At Chalsa, she promised ration and INR 500 for every household and INR 1,000 monthly allowance for the backward caste families.

She further said that the TMC, if re-elected to power, will launch a state-sponsored credit card scheme for students willing to pursue higher education.

Ready to resign only if people of Bengal ask me to do so — Shah on Cooch Behar killings

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that he is ready to resign from his post only if the people of West Bengal ask him to do so.

The senior BJP leader, however, asserted that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will have to quit on May 2 as the Trinamool Congress will lose the ongoing assembly elections.

The TMC chief has demanded Shah’s resignation over the killing of four people in firing by CISF personnel during the fourth phase of voting in Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district on Saturday.

“Didi has been asking for my resignation. If the people of West Bengal demand that I put down my papers, I am ready to do so with my head bowed. But Mamata will have to quit the CM’s post on May 2,” Shah said, while addressing a rally in Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district.

Shah said that the BJP will completely stop illegal immigration from Bangladesh and withdraw a resolution passed in the assembly against CAA after forming the government in the state.

He promised to introduce a ‘Chief Minister’s Refugee Welfare Fund’ to give annual assistance of INR 10,000 to the beneficiaries.