Mamata loses cool during visit to Barasat

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost her cool, on Sunday as she faced angry protests by villagers in Barasat district while visiting the family of a college student who was raped and murdered ten days ago.

After her visit, the Trinamool Congress supremo went on to allege that activists of arch rival CPI-M were linked to the crime and also behind Saturday’s protests. As she was about to board her car, Banerjee faced angry protests by villagers who tried to ask some questions.

“Don’t you feel ashamed to do politics on such incident? You are doing CPI-M politics. Those who were arrested were connected with CPI-M,” Banerjee, who lost her cool, remarked. CPI-M reacted angrily to Banerjee’s charge, accusing her of indulging in a blame game instead of taking action against the guilty involved in the “unfortunate and very condemnable” incident.

“The government cannot get away by blaming somebody else like CPI-M or others. This is completely preposterous. It has to get down to the basic job of governance,” CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said. “What is happening in West Bengal is a very rapid slide and degeneration in law and order.”

In an obvious reference to the previous Left Front government, Banerjee said they should have planned more police stations. “I was about to visit the family. What has happened is really sad and horrific. We promise stringent action against the culprits. We’ll submit chargesheet within 7/8 days and the culprits will be punished within a month. We, on behalf of the government, will plead for a death sentence,” Banerjee said.

“Ours is the only government in India which punished culprits within 27 days in Balurghat in North Bengal. We are number one in taking action”, she claimed. Stating that she would not not spell out the details of what came up in her meeting with the victim’s family, the chief minister said, four new police stations would be opened in the area. The college student was raped and murdered in the Kamuduni area of Barasat last week. The brutality of the incident has not only kicked off a series of protests throughout the state, but has also prompted the State Human Rights Commission to initiate a suo motu enquiry.

Earlier, state food minister Jyotipriyo Mullick and Trinamool MP Nurul Islam faced public ire when they tried to compensate the victim’s family members with money.