The incumbent Chief Minister of West Bengal has once again invited trouble for herself after delivering a controversial speech at a rally on Wednesday. The incumbent CM has again accused the central security forces of obstructing and interfering in elections, without any proof.
While addressing a rally in Cooch Behar district’s Sitalkuchi area, Banerjee said, “People should be allowed to cast their votes. The CRPF should not obstruct them from entering polling booths. I respect those who are real jawans but I do not respect those doing nuisance, attacking women and harassing people at the behest of the BJP. They are obstructing electors from casting their votes. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed them to do so.”
Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have ordered the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans to harass voters and obstruct them from voting. If this was not enough, Banerjee continued with her baseless allegations against the CRPF officials claiming that girls are being molested by the security personnel and that more than 10 people had been killed during the polls which needed to be investigated.
Mamata casts aspersions on CRPF personnel on duty
“More than 10 people have been murdered. This never happened during my time. We all want peaceful polling so that people can cast their vote. We want peaceful, free and fair elections. The Election Commission is running the administration. Please see to it that nobody is killed during polling. I request you to monitor the CRPF personnel who are on duty now in the state. They should not be allowed to harass women. There are cases of girls being molested by central force members. Why are they molesting girls? Complaints have been lodged and I will request you (EC) to please take care of that also,” Banerjee said.
In an attempt to instigate the crowd further, Banerjee encouraged the locals especially women to ‘gherao’ the CRPF personnel and prevent them from performing their duties if they try and heckle the voters. She said, “If the Central forces, say CRPF or even the Bengal force ask you to not to cast your votes, tell them I will not listen to you. Lodge an FIR or diary against them. If the CRPF creates trouble, you, the women, gherao them totally. While one group will keep the forces gheraoed, another will go to cast your votes. Do not waste your votes anyway.”
#Breaking | BJP moves EC against West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's comment allegedly asking to 'gherao CRPF jawans'. BJP calls the statement 'anti-national' & asks EC to bar Mamata from campaigning anymore.
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) April 8, 2021
Sreyashi Dey with details. | #May2WithTimesNow pic.twitter.com/EchEPbRJe1
Slamming Mamata Banerjee, the BJP said that she is trying to create a law-and-order problem in the state and that her statement against the security forces is “seditious and anti-national”. BJP has filed a complaint with the Election Commission and demanded strict action against her.
Mamata Banerjee takes a jibe at Amit Shah:
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee attacked Amit Shah for the recent Bijapur-Sukma terrorist attack tragedy saying, “You (Shah) failed to protect the lives of your policemen in Pulwama and in Sukma. What has the government done for those killed in Sukma? On one side, they are killing people and on another side, you are asking voters to cast vote for your party…You should be ashamed of doing so.”
She further criticized the BJP for its failed attempt at NRC in Assam. “Where is the CAA? They spoke so much and there is no CAA. They speak a lot but do nothing. In the name of NRC, 14 lakh Bengali-speaking people were left out in Assam,” Banerjee remarked.
Poking fun at the irrelevance of ex-TMC members who joined the BJP cadre, she said, “Those who became MPs are contesting elections for MLAs. After this, they will contest councilor election, panchayat election and then club election also.”
BJP approaches EC against Mamata’s comments
The BJP has moved to the EC over Mamata Banerjee’s controversial comments against the CRPF and her call to the public to ‘gherao’ the security forces jawans. The party has said that Mamata’s comments are anti-national and the incumbent CM should be barred from further campaigning. The BJP has also alleged that the TMC and the CM, with her provocative remarks, are trying to prevent the CRPF from doing their duty.
Union minister Smriti Irani, who has been campaigning in the state, has stated to the media that Mamata Banerjee’s rant against the CRPF is another example of her ‘goondagardi’. Calling Mamata’s statements as her ‘frustration’, Irani said that the Bengal CM is looking at certain defeat as the people of Bengal have decided to throw her out of power, she is giving such statements in frustrations. The Union Minister also added that earlier Mamata was against the poor in Bengal, now she has also declared the soldiers of security forces as her enemy too.
Union minister Smriti Irani hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the latter's comments regarding personnel of the CRPF.
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) April 8, 2021
Banerjee reportedly said that she respects 'real soldiers', but not those who 'create nuisance, and harass people at the behest of BJP' pic.twitter.com/pW4sKzkXuo
Third phase of polling marred with violence:
Several instances of violence were reported in the third phase of polling in Bengal. The mother of a BJP worker who was injured in a clash that broke out between the Trinamool Congress and BJP workers on Monday night in Goghata in Hoogly district succumbed to her injuries.
State BJP president Dilip Ghosh alleged his convoy was attacked in Cooch Behar with not just stones and bricks but also bombs by TMC workers.
A BJP agent had been receiving death threats for a week and was stopped from entering the booth in the Tarakeswar Vidhan Sabha constituency in Hooghly district.
Fourth phase of voting:
The fourth phase of voting for the West Bengal Assembly elections 2021 will be conducted on April 10, Saturday. Today marks the last day of the campaign and the TMC and BJP have both intensified their efforts.
In the fourth phase, five districts of Hooghly, Howrah, South 24 Pargana, Coochbehar and Alipurduar will go for polling.
