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Birbhum violence: TMC says will cooperate with CBI, but wants impartial probe
The Calcutta high court on Friday ordered a CBI probe into the Birbhum violence where eight people were burnt to death in Bogtui village near Rampurhat on Monday, following the murder of TMC panchayat leader Bhadu Sheikh.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Kunal Ghosh on Friday said his party will cooperate with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding the probe into the violence in Bengal’s Birbhum district, while demanding an impartial inquiry into the matter.
Ghosh said the Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government condemns the Birbhum incident.
“We will give our full cooperation in the CBI probe. Our only demand is that the CBI investigates the matter in an impartial manner and does not investigate under the pressure of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). If this happens, we will lodge a protest,” Ghosh added.
The TMC general secretary accused the BJP of using the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for politics. “People rejected the BJP in the West Bengal elections, so they are trying a different way with a larger conspiracy. BJP uses the CBI, ED for politics,” Ghosh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
His comments come after the Calcutta high court on Friday ordered a CBI probe into the Birbhum violence where eight people were burnt to death in Bogtui village near Rampurhat on Monday, following the murder of TMC panchayat leader Bhadu Sheikh.
It is alleged that warring factions of the TMC were responsible for the arson.
Banerjee and her government are facing widespread flak over the killings with the Opposition demanding the Trinamool Congress supremo’s resignation as the chief minister.
On Thursday, Banerjee met families of the victims in Bogtui village and announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh. "Each family (of victims” will get a compensation of ₹5 lakh. One member of each family will be given a government job from the chief minister’s quota. Those with burn injuries will get ₹50,000 each,” she said.
Twenty-three people have been arrested in connection with the killings so far and the state police have launched a 10-day drive of illegal arms and ammunition following the horrific incident.
The arrested people include TMC Rampurhat-1 block president Anarul Hossain. Banerjee, who ordered Hossain's arrest, said the incident at Birbhum could have been averted had “he sent the police and a police picket was set up in the area”.
