BJP demands CBI inquiry into Bhatpara firing incident

The BJP on Friday accused the Bengal police administration of acting as "TMC cadres" and demanded a CBI inquiry into the firing incident at Bhatpara, which the party leaders said, left two dead and several injured.

Clashes broke out between two groups, suspected to be affiliated to the TMC and the BJP, in the area on Thursday, with locals alleging that the deaths were because of police firing.

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya held a meeting with state BJP leaders during the day to discuss the next course of action following the incident.

"Mamata Banerjee and her party goons along with police have turned Bengal into killing fields just because the BJP won 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

"The kind of terror they have let loose in Bengal is unprecedented. They are trying to wipe out BJP cadres and voters from the Bhatpara area. But this will not yield any result," Vijayvargia said.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said, the saffron party would seek a CBI inquiry into the incident to bring out the truth.

"It has been decided by our party that we would seek CBI inquiry into the incident to bring out the truth. The police is claiming they have not opened fire.

"The TMC is claiming they are not involved in the incident. The locals are saying it was the police which opened fire and killed innocent civilians. So in order to bring out the truth, a CBI inquiry is needed," BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha told PTI.

On asked about allegations whether outsiders led by the BJP had engineered the ruckus, Sinha termed it as "baseless", and said only a CBI inquiry can unravel the truth.

A central BJP delegation is likely to visit Bhatpara this week and submit a report about the incident to party president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP sources said.

Reacting to the BJP's demand for a CBI inquiry, senior TMC leader and minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said, the BJP wants to "tamper evidence" about its involvement in the Bhatpara incident.

"Since the declaration of Lok Sabha polls results, the BJP has been attacking minorities and Bengali families in the area," Mullick said.

The BJP has called for a state-wide protest and demonstration against the killings.

The North 24 Paraganas unit of the party has called for a gherao of Barrackpore police commissionerate while the state leaders will conduct a protest march in the city.

Director General of Police Virendra had said after visiting the spot on Thursday, "The cause of the deaths is under investigation.