Birbhum fallout: Dhankhar invitations Mamata to debate ‘worsening’ legislation and order, political killings

By PTI

KOLKATA: Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday invited Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for an interplay in the course of the week to deliberate on “worsening” legislation and order within the state.

Dhankhar in his letter claimed that the state of governance within the state was “cliff hanging” and had been additional strained by the barbarity witnessed within the Birbhum killings.

“Recent alarmingly worrisome developments, reflecting increased lawlessness and violence, make it imperative that you spare time earliest for an interaction at Raj Bhavan,” Dhankhar wrote to Banerjee, a replica of which was hooked up to his tweet.

The Governor additionally expressed concern over Banerjee’s latest remark that her social gathering could hit the streets if the CBI probe into the incident was on the behest of BJP, and mentioned any recourse must be lawful and never on the streets.

“I am concerned at your public statement to ‘hit the streets in protest’ if the CBI probe is not in tune with your thought process, any recourse thereof has to be lawful and not on streets,” he wrote.

The chief minister on Sunday had mentioned her authorities would cooperate with the CBI probe however the ruling Trinamool Congress would hit the streets if the central company was discovered to be appearing on the behest of the BJP, Congress or the CPI(M).

“Already cliff hanging governance in the state, from the perspective of Constitution and law, has recently been further strained by horrifying incidents of barbarity at Rampurhat and in the hallowed precincts of the Assembly,” the Governor wrote.

TMC and BJP MLAs had been concerned in fisticuffs within the Assembly on Monday over the killings at Bogtui village on March 21 wherein eight folks had been burnt alive.

A lady who was admitted to Rampurhat hospital with burns died on Monday, elevating the toll to 9.

Activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP on Tuesday hit the streets of Kolkata to protest in opposition to gasoline worth hike and the “worsening” legislation and order scenario within the state respectively.

Members of the youth and scholar wings of the TMC shouted slogans in opposition to the central authorities for the escalation in costs of petrol, diesel and LPG, whereas the saffron social gathering employees slammed the TMC for the Birbhum carnage wherein 9 folks had been burnt to loss of life.

“Soon after Assembly polls were held in five states, the BJP government at the Centre effected rise in fuel prices several times. This has put people under serious stress. Our rally is against this anti-people BJP government at the Centre,” Trinamool Chhatra Parishad state president Trinankur Bhattacharya mentioned.

The rally began at Hazra crossing in Kalighat space of South Kolkata and ended on the statue of Mahatma Gandhi within the central a part of the town.

The rallyists additionally shouted slogans in opposition to the alleged conspiracy by the BJP to cease the “fair and impartial” SIT probe into the loss of life of scholar chief Anis Khan at Amta in Howrah district.

Khan’s relations alleged that 4 folks had come to their home on the evening of February 18 donning police and civic volunteer uniform and pushed him off the second ground of their home resulting in his loss of life.

They have demanded a CBI investigation into the matter.

BJP chief Indranil Khan led a rally from the social gathering’s state committee workplace on Muralidhar Lane to New Market space in central Kolkata.

“The murder of student leader Anis Khan and the burning down of nine people, mostly women and children, have exposed the TMC’s criminal characteristics,” BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar advised reporters.

On the evening of March 21, eight folks had been burnt to loss of life after plenty of homes in Bogtui village of Birbhum district had been set on hearth by unknown miscreants, in a suspected fallout of the homicide of an area TMC chief.

One injured lady died on Monday, elevating the toll to 9.

“Since May 2 last year, 55 of our party functionaries have been killed by Trinamool goons. Our MLAs were beaten up in the Assembly. We have taken out the rally in protest against these violent incidents,” Majumdar mentioned.

Legislators of the TMC and the BJP got here to blows contained in the Assembly on Tuesday after heated arguments over the Birbhum killings.

The saffron social gathering alleged that the police, on the instruction of the ruling social gathering, didn’t permit the rallyists to stage protests in New Market space.

Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday mentioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is “scared” of the aftermath of Birbhum violence as folks have began elevating their voices and that’s the reason the TMC supremo is attempting to divert public consideration by speaking of opposition unity.

Chowdhury, chief of the Congress in Lok Sabha, mentioned the Birbhum incident has tarnished the picture of the state and other people throughout the nation are condemning the West Bengal authorities.

“She (Mamata) is scared and worried now. Anti-incumbency against her government has started setting in and people have started criticising her government openly and that is why Banerjee is now trying to divert attention by raising the issue of unity among opposition parties,” he advised PTI, including that her statements preserve altering and shouldn’t be taken critically.

“Sometimes, she talks of making India ‘Congress-mukt’ and wants non-Congress and non-BJP parties to come together. Sometimes, she criticises the Congress. She seems to be certainly confused,” he mentioned.

Chowdhury, who can be the West Bengal Congress chief and a powerful critic of Mamata, mentioned the Centre’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are the identical as Bengal’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Special Investigation Team (SIT), as they aim political opponents.

“Both are the same and are like brothers and they are playing into the hands of the ruling parties. They are being used against political opponents by the ruling governments,” he alleged.

He mentioned his social gathering has already approached courtroom for a CBI probe into the Birbum violence and the investigation ought to be monitored by the courtroom, because the Congress has apprehensions over the functioning of CBI.

The WB SIT already stands uncovered because the courtroom has discovered lapses within the SIT functioning, he alleged.

Chowdhury additionally mentioned that the Birbhum incident is barely an inside battle inside the Trinamool Congress and the violence was a results of a factional feud inside the social gathering.

“The issue was of who would ‘loot the booty’ and for apportioning of the booty, and was a result of internal conflict which has taken a toll on common people. It is a reflection of medieval barbarity and the dastardly act has certainly tarnished the image of West Bengal in the eyes of the people of India. The entire country has been condemning the state government for the violence,” he mentioned.

Unidentified folks had on March 21 set ablaze 10 homes in Birbhum, killing not less than eight folks, together with ladies and kids.

Choudhary’s remarks come as Mamata wrote to all non-BJP chief ministers and opposition events, together with the Congress which her social gathering had been attacking lately, calling on all “progressive forces” to return collectively and put up a united combat in opposition to the “oppressive BJP regime”.

The West Bengal chief minister referred to as for a gathering to debate methods to tackle the saffron social gathering and in addition decide to the reason for a unified and principled opposition that can make approach for the “government that the country deserves”.

The BJP, nonetheless, claimed that the TMC’s nationwide ambitions have fallen flat.