‘Mafia’ ruling Bengal under Trinamool leadership, finds BJP team

CM Mamata Banerjee, when asked to comment on the fact-finding team, said that such reports will interfere with and weaken the ongoing investigation

A five-member BJP fact-finding team on Rampurhat violence in West Bengal has observed that under the Trinamool leadership, the state is being ruled by the “mafia”, and the law and order machinery has totally collapsed.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, when asked to comment on the fact-finding team, said that such reports will interfere with and weaken the ongoing investigation.

The BJP team, having Brijlal, Satya Pal Singh, KC Ramamurthy - retired IPS officers and members of Parliament, Sukanta Majumdar, BJP’s Bengal president and MP, and Bharati Ghosh, national spokesperson and former IPS officer, submitted its report to J P Nadda, BJP’s national president, on Wednesday. The team was formed by Nadda for a factual assessment of the incident.

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According to BJP sources, the team, in its report, has felt that under Trinamool leadership, the “mafia” in ruling the state is in connivance with political leadership and police. The law and order machinery has completely collapsed, and citizens have lost faith in the government, it has been claimed.

The Bagtui village, it’s alleged, is the outcome of “state-sponsored extortion”. The team noted that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the affected village, only after the BJP fact-finding team had reached Kolkata. The team, in its findings, has alleged that its journey was obstructed by Trinamool “goons”, who wanted to assault the members.

Further, it has been stated that none from the state police came forward to facilitate the team's movement and attempts to contact state DGP and other officials didn’t yield results.

The team has found that the inspector of police and the SDPO didn’t go to the spot even after being informed, despite the fact that they were close to the scene of the offence. They failed at allowing fire tenders to reach the spot and douse the flames. Had they intervened in time, lives could have been saved, the team has assessed.

The All India Service Officers in West Bengal be sensitised about their constitutional obligations, with a strong warning from the Centre, the team has recommended.

Bharati Ghosh, one of the team members, told Deccan Herald that the report has been submitted with recommendations so that necessary steps can be taken.

Mamata condemned the BJP and the Centre, adding that such reports - when an investigation is underway (by the CBI) - will interfere with and weaken the probe. Such reports will misuse investigation for political purposes, she added.

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