‘We give PM, HM, his deputy 48 hrs to clear stand & apologise’

Kolkata: Addressing a huge gathering in Cooch Behar’s Mathabhanga, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday pledged to bring justice to the family of the youth, Prem Kumar who was allegedly killed in a BSF firing.

Banerjee has given a 48-hour ultimatum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home minister Amit Shah urging them to clear their stand on this issue and apologize to the people.

“Why did BSF personnel shoot Prem Kumar? Was it because he was a Rajbangshi? We give a 48-hour ultimatum to the BSF, the Prime Minister and Home minister and his deputy, Nisith Pramanik, to clear their stand on this issue. BJP has disrespected the legacy of Panchanan Barma as the Central forces shot an innocent Rajbangshi,” Banerjee said.

Calling the incident of December 24 “unfortunate”, Banerjee stated that at Dinhata Block-I’s Bharbadha Gram Panchayat, a 24-year-old youth Prem Kumar Barman went to roam around in his village after he had returned home from Bangalore. BSF officials shot him dead.

“I want to challenge PM Modi, Home minister Amit Shah and his Deputy, Nisith Pramanik to tell me and the public what was Kumar’s fault. Why did the BSF jawans shoot him dead? Was it because he was a Rajbangshi? What was Kumar’s crime? I also ask this question to the BSF,” Banerjee said.

He further added: “I went through Kumar’s autopsy report. It stated that 180 bullets were fired at him. I spoke to a ballistics expert, he stated that he had never seen such an atrocity earlier. Even if Kumar was a cattle smuggler, which the BSF claims, why did you not arrest him? What was the need to fire at him? Did you find any gun in his possession? All those BSF officials who are guilty will be brought to book, we will not spare anyone, even if we have to approach the High Court or the Supreme Court.

The BSF officials did not even bother to visit his family even once, Banerjee said. “If one doesn’t have any humanity left, then why should the people accept such leaders?” Banerjee said, training his guns at the Modi-led government at the Centre.

“Even if the accused is being protected by the Prime Minister or the Home minister, we will not spare them. For this, we need the people’s support. Let us make sure that we reply to Nisith Pramanik, the Minister of State (Home Affairs), democratically that he isn’t even able to leave his own house,” Banerjee stated.