Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) party on Monday filed a complaint with Election Commission against West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh over his comment on death of four persons in firing by security personnel in Cooch Behar’s Sitalkuchi constituency, seeking legal action against him and for banning him from campaigning for the rest four phases of elections.

After meeting the EC regarding the complaint, TMC’s Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said, “BJP’s Dilip Ghosh said there’ll be a repeat of the Sitalkurchi incident. This is instigation. Another BJP leader Rahul Sinha said, “Why did you kill 4, why not 8, CISF needs to focus on it”.”

The killing of four persons in CISF firing at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district has triggered a political storm in West Bengal. Earlier on Sunday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called it a “genocide” while Union Home Minister Amit Shah warning her against doing “appeasement politics” over bodies. The TMC chief said the Election Commission’s decision to bar the entry of politicians in Cooch Behar district for 72 hours was aimed at “suppressing facts” and asserted she will visit the area by April 14.

“There was genocide at Sitalkuchi. I would like to visit the area by April 14. The EC is trying to suppress facts by restricting entry in Cooch Behar. We have an incompetent home minister and an incompetent central government,” Banerjee said launching no-holds barred attack on the BJP-led government at the centre.

The feisty TMC chief also spoke to the brother of one of the deceased over a video call, who was heard saying that the jawans had opened fire on the voters standing in a queue.

Four persons died as CISF personnel opened fire allegedly after coming under attack from locals, who “attempted to snatch their rifles” while voting was underway in Sitalkuchi on Saturday.

Wreaths were laid on the bodies, draped in TMC flags, at the spot where the incident took place, following which they were buried.
Shah, on the other hand, alleged that Banerjee’s advice to gheraeo central forces had instigated people to attack the CISF personnel, which led to the killings.

“Mamata had advised people to gheraeo central forces. Is that not responsible for the deaths in Sitalkuchi? Her advice had instigated the people to attack the CISF. She has given rise to the situation of firing,” Shah told reporters after a roadshow in Shantipur in Nadia district.
He also said that he will resign if people of the country and West Bengal as him to do so, while asserting that Banerjee will have to quit on May 2, when the results of the assembly elections will be declared.

The TMC chief has demanded Shah’s resignation over the Cooch Behar killings, the latest flashpoint between rival TMC and BJP which is expected to have its bearing on the next four phases of the elections for the 294-member Bengal house. Her party also took out massive protest rallies across the state, naming him as the conspirator of the incident, senior party leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said.

(With PTI inputs)