Mamata Banerjee, who is embroiled in a political battle after eight people were burned alive by a mob in a village in Bengal’s Birbhum, will visit the area today.
The opposition BJP has accused the Chief Minister of presiding over a catastrophic breakdown of law and order in the state.
On Tuesday, a mob imprisoned eight individuals in their homes and burned them alive, including three women and two children, in vengeance for the death of a local Trinamool Congress politician in a crude bomb assault.
A day later, charred bodies were discovered, largely belonging to one family.
Mamata Banerjee promised strict action on Wednesday, “regardless of party colours,” and said she will visit the town of Bogtui, where the tragic incident occurred.
A special investigation team has been formed by the state government, and 20 people have been arrested. The BJP, on the other hand, has requested a central probe, the removal of the Chief Minister, and the enforcement of the President’s Rule.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the killings “heinous” and said those involved should not be spared.
The Calcutta High Court intervened yesterday, saying that not enough was being done to capture the attackers, and ordered the state government to safeguard witnesses and install CCTV cameras at the scene.
The state government was also ordered to provide a report on the incident by 2 p.m. today, according to the court.
The Differences between Mamta Banerjee and BJP Stirred
The Incident has taken a toll on the differences between Ms Banerjee and the BJP government, resulting in one blaming the other and vice versa, for the incident.
Following the assassination of Trinamool Panchayat deputy chief Bhadu Sheikh, the violence escalated. His sons are among the suspects who have been apprehended by the police.
Several police officers are deployed at a village on the outskirts of Rampurhat, where many locals have left for fear of retaliation or detention. The ten homes that were set on fire have been abandoned.
Several political figures, mostly from the BJP, have visited the area since Tuesday, along with a television crew.
PM Modi stated that his administration would assist the state in whatever way possible in bringing the defendants to justice.
Modi said, ‘that he hopes the Bengal state government will ensure the punishment of those who committed such heinous crimes.’
“I would also urge the people of Bengal to never forgive the perpetrators of such incidents, those who encourage such criminals. The Centre would extend all sorts of help to the state government to ensure the culprits are booked,” he also said.
Mamata Banerjee, who has been targeted by the BJP, has said there is a ploy to undermine her government.
“It was an attempt by the BJP, Left and the Congress to malign our government… Strict action will be taken against all those responsible for the Birbhum incident, irrespective of their (political) colour,” she said.
Ms Banerjee, without naming anyone, said that the incident was staged because “they failed to cause a riot”.
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has had a tense relationship with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over his tenure, claimed that the incident has embarrassed democracy and humanity.
In a letter to Ms Banerjee, Mr Dhankhar said the state government’s actions had “political overtones” and were an attempt to protect the guilty.
Referring to the Governor’s claims, Ms Banerjee remarked, “There is one ‘Lat Saheb’ (lordly person) sitting who is describing Bengal as the worst state and hurling abuses at the state government.”
Published By :- Tarsem Singh
Edited By :- Khushi Thakur
