West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee바카라s nephew and heir apparent Abhiskek Banerjee on Wednesday said that he would have shot the attackers right in the forehead if he would have been a police officer deployed in the Bharatiya Janata Party바카라s (BJP) law violation programme the previous day.
바카라I told Debashis babu that I salute him. He did not do anything [to the attackers]. If I were at his place, and police vehicles were set ablaze and policemen were attacked in front of my eyes, I would have shot right here in the head,바카라 said Banerjee, a Lok Sabha MP, pointing at the middle of his forehead.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Debashis Chatterjee on Wednesday suffered multiple injuries, including on his head, after activists part of the BJP바카라s law violation protest beat him up with sticks. He was hospitalised. The police have registered multiple cases, one for the burning of police vehicle and others for attacks on cops. Attempt to murder charges have been pressed against the accused. Four persons have been arrested as of Thursday after being identified form videos.
Despite the instances of violence by attendees in the BJP바카라s event called to protest corruption by TMC leaders, Abhishek comment of shooting protesters in the head does not go well with the politics of TMC as the party has always criticised incidents of police firing during protests.
What바카라s more, deaths of protesters in police firing have been central to the TMC바카라s very existence. On July 21, 1993, after a rally led by Mamata, then the president of the Bengal unit of Youth Congress, went violent, 13 participants in the protest died in police firing. This event remained central to her political career and, since the launch of the TMC in 1998, the party has observed the 바카라martyrs바카라 day바카라 event commemorating the deaths as its annual flagship event.
Then, in 2007, it was the death of 14 anti-displacement protesters in police firing in Nandigram 바카라during the last leg by the Left Front rule바카라 that proved a turning point in Mamata바카라s political career, eventually playing a major role in catapulting the street fighter-politician to the chair of the chief minister.
The Mamata government, since coming to power in 2011, has remained cautious about police firing at protest events.
In 2011, after police firing claimed the life of two commoners in Magrahat of South 24-Parganas district during a protest over a dispute between locals and the state power department, the administration immediately 바카라closed바카라 the officer-in-charge of the police station as well as two other officers, transferred the sub-divisional police officer and also set up an inquiry commission headed by a retired judge. The administration took similar measures when police firing during a protest claimed one life at Tehatta in Nadia district in 2012.
Even on Wednesday, after the BJP바카라s event in Kolkata, Mamata said, 바카라The police could have opened fire but that바카라s not desirable. The police restrained themselves and tried to manage the situation peacefully.바카라
바카라The chief minister gave a standing instruction to top police bosses never to approach any protest carrying firearms. Water cannons, tear gas shells should be the primary method for dispersing mobs. Then comes the question of lathi charge or use of rubber bullets. Firearms can be used in extraordinary situations but that, too, should remain limited to blank fires,바카라 said a senior police officer who did not want to be identified
Going by the TMC바카라s politics, it바카라s not just the July 21 deaths that they talk about. In March 2021, during the state assembly election, the party launched a scathing attack on the BJP when its state unit general secretary Sayantan Basu called upon central paramilitary forces to 바카라shoot in the chest바카라 whoever attempted to 바카라loot votes바카라. The BJP바카라s 바카라Uttar Pradesh brand of police highhandedness바카라 was not suitable for Bengali culture, TMC leaders alleged at that time and even approached the Election Commission of India (ECI), seeking action against Basu for his comments.
In April, after four voters died in firing by central paramilitary forces at a polling booth in Cooch Behar district, and Basu repeated his remark, Mamata called upon people to defeat 바카라trigger-happy BJP바카라.
바카라I have seen video footage showing some BJP leaders speaking in favour of the central forces after the firing incident. They have no feeling when people die in other families. What if it had happened to someone in your family?바카라 said Mamata at the time.
However, no one in the BJP had criticised Basu at the time.
On Wednesday, following Abhishek바카라s comment, however, Bengal BJP leaders took digs at him. While the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the TMC heir apparent was 바카라talking like criminals바카라, the party바카라s state unit president Sukanta Majumdar said, 바카라Abhishek, the prince awaiting coronation, will gift Bengal with trigger happy cops. That바카라s the reality.바카라
No TMC spokesperson agreed to speak on Abhishek바카라s remarks.
바카라The chief minister herself has said that police firing is undesirable. What more could a party and government need to say?바카라 said a Lok Sabha MP, refusing to be identified.
바카라The comment reflected Abhishek바카라s lack of maturity,바카라 said a TMC minister, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
