BJP leaders on Monday appeared to compete in outdoing each other in making inflammatory remarks to support the CISF firing in Cooch Behar’s Sitalkuchi that killed four voters.

It all started on Sunday with state BJP president Dilip Ghosh claiming there would be more Sitalkuchi-like incidents if limits are crossed, and referred to “dushtu chhele (naughty boys)” having fallen to bullets.

A few hours later, Ghosh’s predecessor and the BJP’s Habra candidate Rahul Sinha said the forces should have killed four more in the firing. “The central forces should have killed eight people instead of four people. The forces should be showcaused why they killed only four,” Sinha told journalists.

If their comments weren’t enough, the saffron camp’s general secretary Sayantan Basu pledged to repeat “the game of Sitalkuchi” if needed.

“I, Sayantan Basu, am saying this, don’t try to play many games, we will play the game of Sitalkuchi,” Basu said, referencing Trinamul’s slogan “khela hobe”.

In the past, Sinha and Ghosh have reportedly run two parallel systems in the state BJP, each trying to outdo the other. Now, state BJP leaders are busy discussing which leader gave a “better comment” on Sitalkuchi.

“Dilipda toh chirokal ee gorom groom kawtha bawlen (Dilipda always speaks aggressively). But what Rahulda said on Sunday sounded more hostile,” one of Sinha’s aides said.

The BJP leader said though Sinha made controversial remarks, it was a little unlikely of him to wish for someone’s death. “(But) with these comments Rahulda will be in publicity for some time,” this leader added.

Ghosh’s loyalists refused to give Sinha credit. “Dilipda e toh shuru korlen. (Dilipda started it all),” said one.

After Saturday’s incident, Trinamul MP Mahua Moitra tweeted a video clip featuring Basu, supposedly in 2019.

“…CRPF key boley debo guli jeno buk lokkhyo korey jaaye, guli jeno paa lokkhyo korey naa jaaye… (I’ll tell the CRPF that the bullet should target the chest and not feet)” Basu is heard saying. Moitra tweeted what happened at Sitalkuchi was a result of this.

The comments of Sinha and Basu drew flak from rivals. Habra’s Trinamul candidate Jyotipriya Mallick said one shouldn’t wish death by a bullet for an enemy. “…BJP is a party of the uncouth…It isn’t a party, it should be banned,” he said. CPM’s Jadavpur candidate Sujan Chakraborty called Ghosh, Sinha and Basu fascists. “The self-defence theory (that central forces fired in self-defence) is being negated by the likes of Basu,” he said.