Furore Over Mamata Banerjee's Purported Audio Tape About Sitalkuchi Violence, BJP Calls It 'Vulture Culture'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's purported conversation in an audio clip with a Trinamool Congress candidate for the Bengal election has sparked a controversy

Image: PTI

West Bengal Elections 2021: As polling is underway in Bengal for the fifth phase, a controversy erupted after the BJP released a purported audio clip in which West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is heard telling the Trinamool Congress nominee of Sitalkuchi to hold rallies with bodies of the four persons killed in CISF firing during polling on April 10.

The TMC described the audio clip as "bogus" claiming such a conversation never took place.

Citing the purported audio clip between Mamata Banerjee and party candidate Partha Pratim Ray, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said the "Chief Minister is trying to instigate riots by asking her party leaders to take out rallies with bodies."

"She is heard asking her party candidate to frame the case in such a way that both the superintendent of police (of Cooch Behar) and other central forces personnel can be framed. Is this expected from a Chief Minister? She is trying to instill a sense of fear just for minority voters,"  Malviya said, according to PTI.

BJP chief JP Nadda tweeted the audio clip, along with a direct attack on the Trinamool. "TMC signifies VULTURE CULTURE- of feasting on death for petty political gains. TMC should be ashamed of themselves," Nadda tweeted.

In the purported audio clip, Banerjee is heard instructing Ray to keep his cool till the polling is over.

"Don't panic. You should make arrangements for conducting a rally with the bodies the next day. And also consult a lawyer and file a police complaint so that neither the SP nor IC can escape," she is heard saying.

Four people were killed in firing by security forces after violence broke out at a polling booth at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district when voting was going on in the fourth of the eight-phase Bengal election.

(With PTI inputs)