Birbhum killings: Parties not in power trying to malign West Bengal govt, says Mamata Banerjee

After a ghastly village fire claimed the lives of eight people as their houses were set on fire in Bogtui village near Rampurhat town of Birbhum district early on Tuesday, in an incident suspected to be the fallout of ruling TMC panchayat official's murder, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has alleged that parties not in power in the state are trying to malign the government.

Mamata said that she would have visited the affected village today itself, but has deferred her visit to Thursday as some delegations (of the Left, and the BJP) are visiting today (Wednesday).

Taking a dig at the BJP government not allowing other parties to visit Hathras in Uttar Pradesh after a rape incident, the CM said, “Anyone wanting to visit could do. This is Bengal, not Uttar Pradesh.”

Also Read | BJP seeks Mamata’s resignation over Birbhum killings

The CM alleged that as the opponents have failed to find any flaws in the governance, they have assumed that it’s easy to ignite a fire with matchsticks. She also said that focus is being shifted to the incident to divert attention away from the fuel price hike. She also alleged Raj Bhavan’s interference in the state’s administration, and warned the BJP, Left-CPI(M) that it’s not easy to divide the state through attempts that malign the state’s reputation.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar responded to Banerjee in a letter stating that “In the face of such enormity I cannot ‘fiddle’ in Raj Bhawan and be a mute spectator.” The Governor also observed, “Introspection would reveal that actions at your end and not mine are dictated by 'political overtones'. Every time flagging of the issue at this end leads to unleashing your apparatus against the Governor.”

Suvendu Adhikari, BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, demanded a probe by the NIA in the murder case.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, MP and state Congress president, wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind requesting him to invoke Article 355 in West Bengal. In a separate development, the Calcutta High Court directed the state to submit a status report on the incident by 2 pm tomorrow.

PM Modi, while virtually inaugurating Biplobi Bharat Gallery at Kolkata’s Victoria Memorial Hall, expressed sorrow at Birbhum's violent incident. The PM said that he hopes that the state government will ensure punishment to those responsible for such a sinful act. He appealed to people not to forgive perpetrators or those who encourage them for such acts. The PM assured all help to the state to see that the guilty get punished at the earliest.

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