TMC files complaint against Dilip Ghosh with EC; Firhad Hakim calls BJP Chief 'nonsense'

The elections in West Bengal continue to become murkier by the day with controversial remarks made by the political leaders from the ruling TMC and the BJP which is keen on snatching power off the hands of the ruling dispensation. Following Dilip Ghosh's statement on the Cooch Behar firing incident, the TMC on Sunday demanded a ban on the BJP Chief's political campaign in the state for the ongoing West Bengal elections. 

TMC lodges complaint against Dilip Ghosh with EC

In a complaint lodged with the Election Commission (EC), the ruling TMC has said that Ghosh justified such "murder" and threatened Bengal and its people of more such "murders" in the following words: "ar jodi barabakri kore Sitalkuchi dekheche ki hoche, jaegae jaegae Sitalkuchi hobe (people have seen what happened at Sitalkuchi, if anyone steps its boundary, the incident of Sitalkuchi will be repeated again and again)."

TMC's complaint filed with the EC said, "Instead of condemning the acts of violence of CRPF in the brutal cold-blooded killing of the four innocent people, Dilip Ghosh has actively seen condoning the acts and in fact encouraging similar spell of violence in the ongoing elections in West Bengal."

CM Mamata Banerjee-led TMC asked the state election body to first initiate appropriate legal action, inlcuding criminal proceedings, against Dilip Ghosh for his "inflammatory and inciting" statement and openly threatening the electorate. Secondly, restrain Dilip Ghosh for campaigning for remaining phases.

Dilip Ghosh while addressing an election rally at Baranagar in North 24 Parganas district had said, "The naughty boys, who had presumed that the rifles of the central forces were just for a show during election duty, will not dare repeat the same mistake after seeing what happened in Sitalkuchi."

Firhad Hakim: 'People of Bengal are intelligent'

Hitting out at the BJP Chief for his recent statement on the Cooch Behar firing incident, former Mayor of Kolkata Firhad Hakim said that Dilip Ghosh is a "nonsense" person and does not have any sensibility. Stating that there was neither booth capturing nor any attack in Sitalkuchi, the former Mayor said that, Union HM Amit Shah's police opened fire to scare the minority community. He said, "BJP wants to polarise Bengal to win the elections but they won't succeed as people of the state are intelligent."

Polling for the first four phases has been concluded in West Bengal. The fifth and sixth phases of the West Bengal elections will take place on April 17 and April 22. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

Cooch Behar violence

Five people lost their lives on Saturday in the Sitalkuchi area of Cooch Behar. Among them were four locals who got killed after hundreds of people surrounded Central forces guarding the booths. The local police stated that the miscreants attempted to snatch weapons from and attack the Central forces compelling them to open fire in self-defence.

Another man named Anand Burman was dragged outside polling booth number 285 in the Pathantuli area of Sitalkuchi and was shot dead according to a police official. Allegations have been levelled against TMC for his death. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier in the day, condoled the death of the five people in the clashes while stating that the violence was unfortunate. He also blamed Mamata Banerjee for provoking the people of Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar to gherao Central Forces which Shah claimed led to the Central Forces being surrounded and attacked by the locals on polling day.

(Image: PTI, ANI)