Condemning the killings of four TMC workers in Cooch Behar by Central Forces on Saturday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said a conspiracy is going around under the instruction of the Union Home Minister.
Addressing a public meeting in Hingalganj, Banerjee said, "CRPF has shot dead four people in Sitalkuchi (Cooch Behar) today. There was another death in the morning. CRPF is not my enemy but there is a conspiracy going around under the instruction of the Home Minister. Today's incident validates that."
"CRPF has killed voters standing in the queue. Where do they get so much audacity? BJP knows that they have lost, so they are killing voters and workers," added Banerjee.
Earlier on Saturday, while addressing a press conference, TMC leader Dola Sen said, "In block 1 of Mathabhanga (Cooch Behar) one TMC worker was killed and three were injured after Central Forces opened fire on them, in Sitalkuchi block, three TMC workers were killed and one was injured."
She added that Central Forces are doing injustice to people and they have crossed limits. "When Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee raised the issue, EC issued her notices," Sen added.
Official sources in Cooch Behar said, "As of now, we have information about the death of four people."
However, TMC MP Derek O'Brien wrote a mail to the Election Commission and said five party workers of a "certain faith" were shot dead by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Cooch Behar.
In the mail, O'Brien said, "In booth no. 126, AC Sitalkuchi, five people have been shot dead by the CRPF after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) captured the booth. According to our sources on the ground, all five were AITC party workers belonging to a certain faith."
He called the incident a "grave violation" of the law and the model code of conduct and urge EC to escalate the matter on priority and begin an investigation at the earliest to apprehend the perpetrators.
Prior to that, in another mail to EC, O'Brien had alleged that BJP 'goons' were creating a ruckus outside several polling booths in Coochbehar, and asked the EC to take necessary action on the 'recurring issue'.
"It is to bring to your notice that across several booths in the following assembly constituencies (Satalkuchi: Booth no 02, 38, 131, 137, 287, 127; Natalbari: Booth no 241, 176, 177; Tufanganj: Booth no 178, 187; Dinhata: Booth No: 237, 228, 229) in Cooch Behar, the BJP goons are creating a ruckus outside the booth and preventing the TMC agents from entering the booth," he had said.
Voting is underway in 44 constituencies in five districts of West Bengal during the fourth phase of the state Assembly polls. Among the 44 constituencies, nine are in Howrah, 10 in Hooghly, 11 in South 24 Parganas, five in Alipurduar and nine in Cooch Behar.
( With inputs from ANI )
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