KOLKATA: With black placards that showed motifs of bloodshed being held in their hands, a silent protest march started from the Gandhi statue at the Maidan, crossed Mayo Road and ended at the Park Street Crossing on Sunday. Slogans on the placards read like “Bullet Revenge by Ballot”, “Shanti Zindabad”, “Manush Boro Sasta Ei Mrityu Upatyakae”, “E Amar Desh Noe”. The leaders of the march, ministers Bratya Basu and Indranil Sen, artist Suvaprasanna, musician and TMC supporter Kabir Suman, were followed by a few hundred people who protested against the CISF killing at Sitalkuchi on Saturday when the fourth phase of the poll was held. Having termed the incident as a “barbaric act”, they criticised BJP state president, Dilip Ghosh, for his remarks about the incident.
“Look at the way the leaders from Delhi are continuously saying that nowhere else such violence happens in the name of elections. They are trying to first incite the violence and then turn the spotlight on us to defame Bengal. I condemn this. Bengal is inclusive in its politics and never peddles violence,” said Bratya Basu.
Kabir Suman demanded the resignation of home minister.
Another silent march in protest against the incident was led by minister Shashi Panja and Jaya Bachchan at Bagbazar.
The Congress and the Left Front too protested against the Sitalkuchi firing and Dilip Ghosh’s remark. “He is trying to divide the voters with such statements, shifting the focus from everyday issues of common people,” said Sujan Chakraborty, Jadavpur’s CPM MLA.
Congress MP, Adhir Chowdhury, said, “A few days ago, the commission had said that if required, the central force can even open fire. We saw it in the fourth phase!”
“On Sunday, protest meetings were organised in Cooch Behar. On April 12, it will be carried out across Bengal,” said state secretary, Chandidas Bhattacharya.
Meanwhile, Catholic churches that held prayers for Divine Mercy Sunday prayed for peaceful polls. “The violence at Sitalkuchi has shocked us. We hope peace comes back and the rest of the phases happen smoothly,” said vicar general, Dominic Gomes. Bishop Paritosh Canning, head of the Church of North India (CNI), said, “We have to realise that when we kill a person, we destroy God’s creation.”