Mamata to ask Centre to rein in ‘trigger-happy’ BSF

At a time when tension is mounting up along the country's western front following brutal killings of two Indian soldiers by Pakistan Army, a controversy looks set to brew up over alleged killing of civilians by the BSF on the country's eastern front.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, according to Trinamool sources, will write to the Centre to protest against what the party says "rampant killing of people by Border Security Force (BSF) jawans in West Bengal's border districts which causes social instability and law and order trouble".

The move, however, is being seen as an attempt by the Trinamool government to counter the campaign by the Congress and the CPM that police have become trigger happy during Trinamool rule. Trinamool sources pointed out that by sending letter to the Centre. Mamata will hit back at the Congress for failing to restrain the BSF on the country's eastern front.

"She (Mamata) has expressed displeasure over BSF's firing which killed many people recently. I will not comment on when the letter will be sent because it is the subject matter of the state government. But it is fact that the Chief Minister is much disturbed over the killing of people by BSF jawans in villages bordering West Bengal and Bangladesh," Trinamool general secretary Mukul Roy told The Indian Express over phone.

Political observers feel that Mamata's move is aimed at countering the campaign of the CPM and Congress which slammed the state government for failing to restrain police from using fire arms on common people. In the 18 months of her rule, at least six incidents of police firing have occurred in West Bengal that killed five persons and injuring many. The last police firing took place at Tehatta which claimed life of one. The Tehatta police firing triggered a outrage following which the opposition parties launched a scathing attack against the Mamata Banerjee government accusing it of making the police force trigger happy.

... contd.

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