Stop ‘trigger happy’ Central forces: TMC tells Home ministry

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress has demanded immediate intervention of the Union Home Ministry to stop the ‘trigger happy’ Central forces as the party alleged that one of their workers was shot at during a BJP rally at Bhagabanpur. TMC also demanded naka checking of BJP convoy vehicles.

TMC wrote on its official Twitter handle: “Appalled by @BJP4India’s barbaric display of hooliganism at Bhagabanpur rally, hurling bricks at our workers. Besides, one of our workers was shot by the Central forces as they opened fire. This blatant misuse of power is a dark stain on our democracy!”

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh alleged that Central forces are being used by BJP to spread violence. He said that the TMC worker Bimal Krishna Das was shot at by the Central force deployed for providing security to a BJP MLA. He said the party worker is severely injured. “Who will take responsibility for this heinous act?” he asked. Kunal alleged that convoys of BJP leaders are roaming in Bengal with Central forces while TMC is getting reports that the vehicles escorted by these Central forces are often carrying illegal arms and ammunition, and illicit money, which is being used to fund anti-socials so they can disturb the peace in the state.

Ghosh demanded that all such BJP convoys be made to undergo ‘naka checking’ and searched thoroughly by the police at these checkpoints.

He questioned how the Central forces can directly open fire at civilians without first firing a warning shot in the air in case of a disturbing situation.

“How are they directly lodging bullets in someone’s body without following the protocol of first firing in the air?” he asked.

“Earlier too, we have seen CPI(M)’s ‘trigger-happy police’. Now it is BJP’s ‘trigger-happy Central forces’ which are being used to muzzle the voice of the opposition. Everybody knows how the BJP is using National Investigative Agency to harass All India Trinamool Congress leaders. We are warning the Centre to take note of the state BJP leader’s incompetence” Kunal said.