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Birbhum violence: Will meet President Kovind, says Cong’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
Eight people, including two children, were charred to death in Bogtui village near Rampurhat in Birbhum district on Monday, hours after the murder of Trinamool Congress (TMC) panchayat leader Bhadu Sheikh in alleged internal fighting.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday said he will meet President Ram Nath Kovind over the Birbhum incident in West Bengal that led to the death of at least eight people following the killing of a Trinamool Congress leader. Chowdhury said the state’s law and order is worsening by the day.
The Lok Sabha MP from Berhampore said a probe by a special investigation team (SIT) will be of little in this case.
“The SIT is of no use. I will meet the President of India over the Birbhum incident, and will suggest to him that he considers (imposing) Article 355 of the Constitution in the state. Law and order is getting worse. People feel unsafe in Bengal,” the Congress leader was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Article 355 says it is the duty of the Union to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbance.
Eight people, including two children, were charred to death in Bogtui village near Rampurhat in Birbhum district on Monday, hours after the murder of Trinamool Congress (TMC) panchayat leader Bhadu Sheikh in alleged internal fighting.
According to reports, around 10 houses in Bogtui village were set ablaze. Locals said the houses were set on fire during attacks by members of a faction of the TMC.
“The situation is now under control, and a police picket has been posted in the village. We are investigating how the houses caught fire and whether the incident is related to the death of the panchayat deputy chief of neighbouring Barshal village," DGP Manoj Malaviya told news agency PTI on Tuesday. He said the SIT team will be led by the additional director general of police (CID) Gyanwant Singh.
The Union home ministry also sought a report from the Mamata Banerjee-led government in the state.
"The MHA has sought a detailed fact report from the West Bengal government over the Birbhum incident which claimed lives of eight people after houses were set on fire," ministry officials told ANI. The request comes after a delegation from Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Bengal unit met Union home minister Amit Shah and sought his intervention into the matter.
The BJP has blamed TMC-linked goons for the arson in Bogtui village and demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case.
Meanwhile, Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said the Birbhum incident indicated an alarming situation in the state and described the violence as an 'arson orgy'. Banerjee hit back by saying that Dhankhar should refrain from making "unwarranted statements".
(With agency inputs)
