Five people were killed in a clash outside a polling booth in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district on Saturday. Both BJP and TMC are blaming each other for the incident. The Election Commission has sought a report. The incident took place in Sitalkuchiat at around 10 am after a Quick Response Team (QRT) was allegedly attacked by unidentified people.
According to sources, the team along with the police were clearing people who were reportedly preventing voters from reaching the polling booths. During this a voter fell down and unidentified people started damaging vehicle of the QRT. After this five rounds were fired by the security personnel.
Mamata Banerjee-led TMC said, "Since morning BJP miscreants were blocking people's right to vote while CRPF was influencing voters to vote in favour of BJP. When TMC workers went to enquire why people were not being allowed to vote, BJP miscreants launched an attack creating an atmosphere of chaos, following which CRPF open fired leading to five TMC workers losing their lives." "It is also sad that the Election Commission has still not come out with response on this dastardly attack. We strongly register our protest against this police-ordered killing. Shameful that the forces are acting like goons in uniform," mentioned the statement.
Sitalkuchi BJP candidate Baren Chandra Barman said that one of the deceased was the party's polling agent at the booth and that TMC activists were behind the murder. "He was our polling agent and was going to the booth when TMC goons shot him dead. Rabindra Nath Ghosh's claim is a total lie. We have informed the SP and the ECI about the incident, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits," Barman said.
EC SEEKS REPORT ON INCIDENT
The Election Commission has sought a report from DEO Cooch Behar. "We have received information that a person was shot dead outside a polling booth in Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district. We have sought a report from the micro-observer as soon as possible and the returning officer was called up to know about the situation," an election official said.
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