Chooch Behar killings: TMC seeks answers from EC

Kolkata: Central forces have gunned down four innocent people just to create panic among the voters and prevent people from coming out in large numbers to exercise their franchise in the remaining phases of the Assembly elections, alleged Trinamool Congress leaders on Saturday.

"Heart wrenching reports of 5 innocent people shot dead by Central Forces coming in from Coochbehar. @AmitShah is this your vision for Bengal when u call for turning Bengal into 'SonarBangla' ?, tweeted Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee.

Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee will visit the houses of the deceased and injured in Cooch Behar on Sunday. Trinamool workers will wear black badges and stage protest meetings across the state on Sunday.

Talking to newsmen at Trinamool Bhavan the Trinamool leaders demanded the resignation of Home minister Amit Shah and alleged that a conspiracy hatched by him along with Narendra Modi and Election Commission of India had resulted in gunning down of four innocent people at Cooch Behar where the fourth phase of election was held on Saturday.

A Trinamool delegation met the Chief Electoral Officer and submitted a letter alleging that a cold-blooded murder of four people had taken place in Cooch Behar. The incident left three people injured.

In the letter Trinamool alleged that the conduct of ECI had clearly indicated that it was working under the command of BJP. They were facilitating violence sponsored by the BJP and executed by the CAPF at the instruction of Amit Shah.

The leaders said in the first three phases they had lodged 6, 18 and 134 complaints against the highhandedness of the CAPF but no action had been taken against by them so far.

The leaders further alleged that the SP Cooch Behar was replaced by the present one as the ECI thought he would serve its purpose. The delegation that met the CEO included Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Subrata Mukherjee, Saugata Roy, Dola Sen and Derek O' Brien.

The team raised the question as to what action was being contemplated against the errant CAPF, its hierarchy and the SP of Cooch Behar in this regard.

The incident took place in Sitalkuchi area when voting was underway on Saturday.