Condemning the incident of firing by central forces at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar that claimed four lives on Saturday, the Left Front will send a letter on Monday to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) while it also warned that common people are allegedly being used as “cannon fodder” in this “gun politics” in Bengal.

Addressing a press conference today at Alimuddin Street party headquarters, CPI-M politburo member Md. Salim today criticised the Election Commission primarily by alleging that the latter is failing to maintain its role in ensuring a peaceful election.

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“The EC invites electorates through advertisements to come to booths and cast their votes but at the same time is failing to guarantee their safety and security. Four lives were lost due to central forces’ firing in Shitalkuchi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home minister Amit Shah and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee ~ all three are responsible for instigating party workers during rallies which culminated into this massacre,” alleged Salim, adding “ The EC is only restricted to assurances but no action.”

The CPI-M leader questioned, “Central forces are carrying guns but who is holding the trigger? Is it the BJP leaders?”

He asked: “How could BJP leader Dilip Ghosh then claim that there will be more such Shitalkuchi incidents? The Trinamul and the BJP are not being able to garner the support of people through advertisements and hence resorting to money and muscle power.” He said the Left- Front will write to Modi, Shah, and to the chief electoral officer tomorrow, condemning the killings. Salim pointed out that his party has already demanded a thorough investigation and court’s intervention into the killings to find out the guilty persons while he demanded that the central forces battalion, which opened fire, must be withdrawn.

The CPI-M leader felt the apparent violence and show of muscle power by both the TMC and the BJP is a form of catharsis since people are mobilising in favour of Sanjukta Morcha that is supposedly leading in the polls, as far as the last four phases of elections are concerned, he claimed. He added that innocent civilians are being turned into “cannon fodder”. Salim declared that his party wants to put across the message that this election needs to be fought using slogans and not bullets. “Goli se nahi, Boli se laro,” he said.

The Left-Front demanded strict punishment for the ones guilty in Shitalkuchi firing case and urged the Election Commission to “walk the extra mile to turn their words of assurances into apparent and strict action”.