Bengal Election 2021: Mamata Banerjee blamed the centre for the violence in Cooch Behar.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the violence in Sitalkuchi in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district where voting had to be called off after clashes left four people dead.
"Home Minister Amit Shah is completely responsible for today's incident and he himself is the conspirator. I don't blame central forces because they work under Home Minister's order. We will demand his resignation," she said, calling the deaths "murder by central forces".
Questioning the central forces' version of firing in self-defence Ms Banerjee said her government will initiate a police probe into the incident. There is no video footage or any other proof to substantiate claims of the central forces, she said.
"Where does this theory come from? Who was injured on their part? Is there any footage? After killing those people, they were supporting the act," she told reporters at a news conference in Siliguri.
The Chief Minister will visit the area on Sunday while the Trinamool Congress plans to organise black-badge protests across the state to mark the incident.
The four men were shot dead this morning in a clash with security forces outside a polling booth. The clashes, which took place as 44 seats vote today in the fourth phase of state elections, have triggered a blame game between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress.
The Election Commission stopped polling at the booth in Sitalkuchi, about 680 km from state capital Kolkata, where violence was reported and a detailed report has been sought.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths at a rally in Bengal. But he also slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party soon after the incident. "What happened in Cooch Behar is sad... I offer condolences to bereaved families. Mamata Didi and her goons are jittery because of the groundswell of support for the BJP."
Mamata Banerjee hit back at the central government and the BJP, saying, "The BJP knows it won't win so it's resorting to bombs and violence."