State Tourism Minister trashes claim of BJP supporter dying in police firing
Darjeeling: Tourism minister Gautam Deb trashed claims of the BJP that the West Bengal Police had shot BJP supporter Ullen Rai during the 'Uttarkanya Aviyan' launched by the saffron party on December 7.
On Monday, 49-year-old Rai of Gajoldoba succumbed to pellet injuries. The West Bengal Police on Tuesday had tweeted: "As per the PM report, death was due to the effects of shotgun injuries.
Police do not use shotguns. It's obvious that during yesterday's protest in Siliguri, armed persons were brought and they fired from firearms." The
investigation into the matter has been handed over to the CID.
Kailash Vijayvargiya, national general secretary of BJP on Tuesday night tweeted a video, claiming that the police had fired from a shotgun which led to Rai's death. He threatened to take the matter to the Supreme Court.
"This is evidence of how BJP misleads people with false information. Police do not use shotguns. The gun that is seen in the video is a pump action gun and is certified to launch non-lethal ammunition. It is used to launch rubber bullets. Kailash Vijayvargiya should know what gun it is before making such allegations. This is how the BJP functions. They use false information and social media to mislead people. People should remain
cautious. We have video footage of the anarchism launched by the BJP on that day," the minister said.
Meanwhile, police have started three suo motu cases at the NJP police stations in connection with Monday's incident naming front rung BJP
leaders including Vijayvargiya, Tejaswi Surya, Dilip Ghosh, Sayantan Basu, Mukul Rai, Jayanta Rai, Nishith Pramanik and others.
They have been charged under Sections including 307 (attempt to murder), 147 (rioting), 427 (mischief) and 353 (assault) of the Indian Penal Code read with
Section 3 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and section 9 of West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order Act and section 25/27 of Arms Act.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased had filed a petition in a Jalpaiguri court praying for a second post mortem.
The court has granted the prayer and ordered that the report of the second post mortem be submitted by December 11.
