West Bengal post-poll violence: Centre forms 4-member fact-finding team
What's the story
Amid reports of violence continuing to emerge from West Bengal, following the Trinamool Congress's (TMC) win in the recent state Assembly elections, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday rushed a four-member fact-finding team to Kolkata and asked it to submit a report within 48 hours. Headed by an additional secretary rank official, the team is likely to meet administration bureaucrats in the state.
Supreme Court
2 petitions in apex court on 'violence by TMC workers'
Two petitions were filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday by BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia and NGO Indic Collective Trust on the alleged violence in West Bengal by TMC workers. While Bhatia sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into "instances of rampant violence, murders, and rapes," the NGO sought the deployment of central protection forces to restore law and order.
Centre
Bengal government asked why report not submitted: MHA letter
The development comes in light of the MHA sending a letter to West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay on Wednesday accusing the state government of not taking prompt action and asking why a report hadn't been submitted yet, sources were quoted as saying to The Indian Express. An MHA official said if a report is not received "at once, it will be viewed seriously."
Information
Central team to meet families affected by violence
Citing MHA sources, TIE reported that the team will meet top state police officials, the Chief Secretary, and other bureaucrats in the administration. It will also make field visits to some of the places where violence has been reported and talk to affected families.
CM
CM says incidents of violence being reported from 'BJP regions'
Addressing a press conference after taking oath as the Chief Minister for the third consecutive term, Mamata Banerjee blamed the BJP for clashes in the state and said violence is being reported from regions where the BJP won. "These places can be seen as black spots," PTI quoted her as saying on Wednesday, "We are not going to tolerate any lawlessness here."
Other developments
Mamata alleges maladministration under Election Commission's watch
The Chief Minister said "inefficiencies" had crept into the administration during the polling process when the Election Commission was in charge. In her first administrative action since she was elected again, Banerjee affected a major reshuffle of the state police and transferred 29 IPS officers and one IAS officer. In two key changes, Banerjee reinstated DGP Virendra and ADG (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim.
Kolkata visit
Blame game continues as JP Nadda alleges 'state-sponsored violence'
Referring to the alleged attacks on BJP workers as a "state-sponsored violence," BJP president JP Nadda said, "While BJP workers are being murdered, Mamata is mum on the issue. This shows her involvement in the atrocities," Deccan Herald reported. Nadda—who reached Kolkata on Tuesday—claimed that 14 BJP workers were killed and about one lakh fled from their homes in the aftermath of the violence.
Article 356
We prefer to fight democratically: Nadda on President's Rule
Asked if the BJP would demand the imposition of Article 356, Nadda described the process of imposing President's Rule and said that "even if it's a fit case for it, as far as the BJP is concerned, we prefer to fight democratically." Meanwhile, TMC MP Mahua Moitra took a dig at Nadda and tweeted that his frequent visits didn't ensure the BJP's win.
Investigation
Birbhum Police chief refutes claim of molestation in district
Amid reports of BJP spokesperson Swapan Dasgupta claiming incidents of molestation in Birbhum district and social media users widely sharing the allegation, Birbhum Police chief Nagendra Nath Tripathi said the claim was found to be false. "We came to know that it was fake news and done with an intention to spread violence and unrest in the area," Tripathi said, according to The Telegraph.
Quote
Police asks cybercrime department to take action
Saying that no incidents of rape had happened anywhere in the district, Tripathi added, "We have asked the cybercrime department to look into it and find out where the news had generated. We will start a case of cybercrime against those who circulated it."