TMC delegation meets EC over BJP's provocative statements on Sitalkuchi incident
Apr 12, 2021
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 12 : A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation, comprising of party leaders such as Sukhendu Shekhar Roy and Derek O'Brien, met with the Election Commission (EC) officials on Monday over provocative statements made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on the Sitalkuchi incident.
Speaking to reporters, Roy said: "BJP state president Dilip Ghosh has been saying that incidents like the one in Sitalkuchi, where four voters were killed, will happen again. We have called for the attention of the EC on this matter."
Stressing that voters were being threatened in Bengal, the TMC leader said that the party has submitted an application to the Election Commission on the matter.
He also alleged that BJP candidate Rahul Sinha had remarked that "why only four people were killed, why not eight", and that both Ghosh and Sinha were trying to create an atmosphere of terror.
Speaking on the CCTV footage of the booth, Roy questioned: "Where did the CCTV footage of polling booth number 126 go? Why even after 48 hours, no picture of the incident has been found?"
He further said that BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari had shared the image of an injured soldier, claiming that he was hurt in the Sitalkuchi incident, however, fact-checking revealed that the picture of the soldier was from Jharkhand.
"They are repeatedly saying that the people were responsible for the incident in Sitalkuchi. We have highlighted to the EC that an atmosphere of violence and terrorism is being spread by the BJP in the remaining four phases of the elections," he said, adding that the party is doing so because they know they will be defeated in the elections.
Violence erupted at a polling booth in Cooch Behar during the fourth round of polling on April 10. The ruling TMC alleged that central forces opened fire twice at polling booths in Cooch Behar where people are casting their votes, killing four party workers.
Following the incident, the EC ordered the adjournment of the poll in PS 126 of Sitalkurchi AC, Cooch Behar based on an interim report from Special Observers. The EC will seek a detailed report from them and the Chief Election Officer by 5 pm on Saturday.
Since the incident, the Election Commission has barred the entry of any political leader in the Cooch Behar district for the next 72 hours.
