Cooch Behar violence: Mamata's advice to 'gherao' central forces instigated people, says Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's advice to "gherao" central forces instigated people to attack CISF in Sitalkuchi.
Amit Shah who held a roadshow in Santipur on Sunday claimed that attempts were being made to politicise Sitalkuchi killings.
"Mamata Banerjee had advised people to gherao central forces. Is that not responsible for the deaths in Sitalkuchi? Her advice had instigated the people to attack the CISF.Mamata still has time to apologise to the people of Bengal for her speech," the home minister said.
"Mamata Banerjee condoled only four people. She didn’t shed a single tear for Anand Burman because he belonged to a Rajvanshi community. He wasn’t fit for her appeasement politics. This type of politics is not the culture of Bengal," he added.
He also vowed to end "political and poll-related violence" in Bengal if BJP comes to power.
Earlier today, Mamata Banerjee described the incident of firing in Cooch Behar as a "genocide" and claimed that central forces "sprayed bullets aiming at the torso of the victims" in Sitalkuchi area, when the fourth phase of polling was underway in the state.
Four persons died on Saturday when CISF personnel opened fire allegedly after coming under attack from locals, who "attempted to snatch their rifles", the police had said.
Mamata also accused EC of trying to suppress facts by "restricting entry in Cooch Behar."
The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday gave directions that no political leader from any party should be allowed to enter the geographical boundaries of Cooch Behar district for the next 72 hours where four persons were killed in poll violence during the fourth round of polling in West Bengal.
(With agency inputs)