EC bans visits of politicians to violence-hit Cooch Behar

Firing was 'absolutely necessary', observers report to EC

The special observers deployed by the Election Commission in West Bengal reported to the panel that it had become “absolutely necessary” for the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to open fire on the mob that attacked a polling station in Cooch Behar district of the state on Saturday.

The EC barred the leaders of all political parties from entering Cooch Behar for 72 hours as it anticipated that the visits by the politicians to mourn the death of the four people, who were killed in firing by the CISF personnel, might trigger a law and order problem. The EC’s move came soon after the Trinamool Congress made public that its supremo and the state’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would visit Cooch Behar on Sunday to offer her condolence to the bereaved families of the four men killed in firing by the CISF personnel.

The commission also decided to extend the campaign silence period from 48 hours to 72 hours in all the constituencies going to polls in the fifth phase of voting on April 17.

Also read: PM Modi condoles death in CISF firing in Cooch Behar, blames TMC for violence

The EC’s special general observer Ajay Nayak and special police observer Vivek Dube sent a joint report to the commission after four people were killed in firing by the CISF personnel at a polling station in Sitalkuchi assembly constituency of West Bengal. They reported that “recourse to open fire” by the CISF personnel had become “absolutely necessary in order to save the lives of the voters, who had been waiting in the queue in front of the polling booth to cast votes, other polling officials and themselves. Nayak and Dube also reported that the mob had attempted to snatch the weapons of the paramilitary personnel.

The commission, however, highlighted “peaceful and orderly” voting in the remaining 15939 polling stations in 44 assembly constituencies of the state on Saturday, despite violence in the one set up at the Amtali Madhyamik Shiksha Kendra in Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar.

The EC first adjourned the voting at the 126th polling station in Sitalkuchi at 12-36 p.m. It acted after receiving reports from its general observer Sharad Ahire and police observers Madireddy Pratap, confirming that a mob had attacked the polling station.

It later ordered that re-voting would be conducted at the particular polling station.

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The EC noted that the last rites of the four people killed in firing by the CISF personnel had not been performed yet. It was brought to the notice of the commission that some political leaders “might visit the area with the ostensible purpose of condoling with the families” of the deceased men, which, however, might “cause a law and order problem of major proportions in this place as well as the adjoining places”.

The Trinamool Congress also planned to hold black-badge protest across the state to condemn killing of people in firing by the CISF personnel. Banerjee blamed union Home Minister Amit Shah for the violent incidents. The EC had on Thursday served her a notice for berating the central paramilitary forces deployed in the state for conducting the assembly polls. She had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of using the central paramilitary forces in its favour to beat her Trinamool Congress.