From published information, it is difficult to believe that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was entirely responsible for “inciting an attack on Central Forces” at Sitalkuchi, as is repeatedly alleged by the Prime Minister and others.
On April 10, the CISF had opened fire on a ‘hostile’ crowd near Polling Booth number 126, killing 4 people
From published information, it is difficult to believe that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was entirely responsible for “inciting an attack on Central Forces” at Sitalkuchi, as is repeatedly alleged by the Prime Minister and others.
On바카라 웹사이트April 10, 2021, the CISF opened fire on what they called a hostile crowd near Polling Booth number 126 causing 4 deaths, all belonging to the minority community.바카라 웹사이트 What CM Mamata Banerjee had told the바카라 웹사이트women바카라 웹사이트voters on바카라 웹사이트April 7바카라 웹사이트in Cooch Bihar district, translated verbatim by a weekly on바카라 웹사이트April 8바카라 웹사이트was: “If the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) acts smart, gherao them. One group gheraos them, the other group goes and casts their vote. Don’t waste your vote”. This was after alleging that바카라 웹사이트obstructing voters from entering polling stations.
At best, she could have been charged for inciting a “wrongful restraint” by way of “gherao” which the Supreme Court had frowned upon as ‘industrial action’ in바카라 웹사이트AIR 1968 Cal 407, 72 CWN 440. However, peaceful “Gherao” has been practised as political action since 1967 all over India on the 1917 model of peaceful “picketing” outside the Motihari Court where Gandhiji was sentenced for the Champaran Satyagraha.
The reasons why the CISF delayed lodging their complaint on the incident are not clear. Also, their complaint on 12 April at Mathabhanga police station accused “unidentified miscreants” for attacking them on바카라 웹사이트April 10, which forced them to open fire in “self-defence”. There was no mention of aggressive women linking the incident to CM바카라 웹사이트Mamata Banerjee라이브 바카라 speech. Also, this complaint was after the brother of Hamidul Haque, the first victim in the firing, had lodged his complaint against CISF for killing his brother.
The “blood bath in Sitalkuchi”, to borrow a daily라이브 바카라 phrase, had started on바카라 웹사이트April 10바카라 웹사이트when Minal Haq, a 14-year-old class VIII student who was playing on the road started running scared when CISF came in a vehicle. Seeing him running they chased him and questioned him in Hindi, which he did not understand. Minal told the reporter in the hospital: “They hit me with a baton on my waist and spine and I fell on the ground, vomiting”. This disproportionate force was the first spark to mob protests, ending with 4 deaths.
바카라 웹사이트Contrary to what the Election Commission Observer had reported, no CISF personnel seems to have been injured in the melee.바카라 웹사이트 The photo of a CISF “jawan” with injuries on his face circulated widely on social media as having been injured in the “attack” turned out to be that of CISF Asst. Sub Inspector S P Sharma, who was attacked by바카라 웹사이트a langur while on duty at Bharat Coking Coal Limited plant at Baghmara in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
Another important point that will go against the CISF is that they had invoked “self-defence” instead of citing Section바카라 웹사이트129 CRPC on the dispersal of an unlawful assembly by the police by using force. This power which is usually with an executive magistrate or a police officer in charge of a police station or any officer of the rank of sub-inspector was conferred to the Central Reserve Police (CRP) officers in바카라 웹사이트July 1976.
Perhaps this power has not been given to CISF and hence the plea of self-defence. Now바카라 웹사이트the Court would necessarily have to weigh the “proportionate force” factor. The fact that there was no grievous injury on CISF personnel would thus go against them.
Yet another factor might go against the Election Commission (EC) itself. According to Chapter 3 Para 3.4 of the “Election Commission Force Deployment Manual”, local police have to be deployed in the “Catchment areas” of the polling stations and inside and outside of the polling premises (as different from polling stations) for maintenance of law & order, 바카라 웹사이트while Central Armed Police would be guarding polling stations, poll materials, and other connected duties.
바카라 웹사이트On 10 April repeated TV visuals were shown of the CISF commandos chasing crowds quite away from polling stations without any presence of the local police with them. Why did the EC fail to deploy local police with CISF, which would have prevented the language barrier leading to the바카라 웹사이트Minal Haq incident and also thereby would have given legal protection under S.129 CrPC to CISF?
(The writer is a former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat)