West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday visited Bagtui village in Rampurhat to meet the family of those killed in the Birbhum violence.
At least eight people were burnt to death in the Rampurhat area of West Bengal’s Birbhum on Tuesday after a mob set houses on fire following the killing of Trinamool Congress leader Bhadu Sheikh. Ahead of Banerjee’s visit to Rampurhat, Birbhum Superintendent of Police Nagendra Nath Tripathi inspected the village along with a large contingent of the police personnel.
Mamata said: “No one should be spared. Anarul Sheikh should be arrested immediately.”
It was alleged that Anarul Sheikh, the Trinamool block president of Bogtui, instructed to conduct the attack and that he even stopped the police from entering the village. The fire brigade was also detained.
The chief minister directed Birbhum district magistrate Bidhan Roy to provide compensation to the victims. “Everyone whose house has been burnt down will get Rs 1 lakh for building a new one. If necessary, up to Rs 2 lakh has to be paid.”
The injured are being treated at Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital. Mamata said: “The state government will take responsibility for the treatment of the injured. The injured will be paid Rs 1 lakh. The three children will be paid Rs 50,000.
The chief minister also announced that the state government will provide jobs for one member of each family. “A monthly salary of Rs 10,000 will be given first without an interview. There will be a permanent job in Group D within a year.”
Following the direction of the Calcutta High Court, CCTV cameras are being installed in the violence-affected area of Rampurhat.
Slamming Banerjee over the violence, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the TMC supremo had destroyed West Bengal by creating ‘danav raj’ in the state.
Chowdhury, who visited the Bogtui village near Rampurhat in Birbhum, also said that TMC supremo’s visit to Bogtui village in Birbhum was like a picnic for her.
“Chief Minister came here today for a picnic. She came on a helicopter, held a meeting, had food and then left. She should have listened to the locals. She should have talked to the people here and could have heard their agonies,” he added.
The Congress leader said, “It is a living example of medieval barbarism. There is ‘danav raj’ instead of ‘manav raj’ in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has destroyed Bengal. The connivance of ruling TMC and Police are looting the state. No other state in the country has this kind of situation. Yes, violence happened in Hathras and Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. We also went there. But, the situation of Bengal is the worst.”
Asked about the SIT investigation by the state government, Chowdhury said, “The SIT is just an eyewash. What happened in the Anish Khan case? An SIT was also made at that time. Nothing happened. Some sycophant officers of Didi (Mamata Banerjee) are made the head of SITs. We do not trust the SIT. We have demanded Article 355. We also want a court-monitored CBI probe.”
A complaint has been filed with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by the legal cell of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) against human rights violation of the residents of Bogtui village of Birbhum, West Bengal.
Complainant Amrish Ranjan Pandey, National Secretary, (IYC) and Ambuj Dixit, National Co-Coordinator, Legal Cell, (IYC) filed a complaint against the West Bengal government demanding an independent investigation in the killings of people in Baktui village, Birbhum, West Bengal. The complaint states, “Media reports show that Trinamool Congress (TMC) has unleashed a wave of violence against political opponents in the area, resulting in arson and killing being widespread in the area. A mass exodus of people is also happening from the village on account of fear of being killed by TMC goons.”
Bengal DGP Manoj Malviya informed that 11 arrests have been made in the case so far. A special investigation team has been formed to probe the matter.
WITH INPUTS FROM ANI