Bengal government accepts law and order failure

Kolkata: Accepting the growing lawlessness in state, the West Bengal government has asked all police officials to take strict action against those trying to break harmony and create an environment of tension in the state.

Speaking to Gulf News, a district Superintendent of Police said, “The order has come from the very top that anyone trying to create lawlessness in the state will not be tolerated and immediate action to be taken irrespective of his political affiliations.”

Earlier Governor M.K. Narayanan on Wednesday virtually rapped the Mamata Banerjee-led government over the clashes between CPI-M and Trinamool Congress workers, saying it was akin to “some sort of goondaism” which was “not acceptable”. He asked the police and the administration to function impartially in arresting the guilty.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme, Narayanan said, “This is not a good political culture. I think some sort of goondaism is going on in the state. The last two-three days have been very disturbing and distressing. This violence should not have taken place. We should not tolerate the violence that is taking place. This is not acceptable.”

“It is the duty of the administration and the police to take action against those who are responsible. There is clear evidence against the guilty. The police and the administration have to be impartial,” the governor added.

The main bone of disturbance is clash between the supporters of ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in relation to the upcoming Panchayat (local body) elections, where both the parties are keen to hold on to their stronghold areas and uproot each other.

Trouble flared up in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district late last week after one party office each of the CPM and TMC were damaged and set afire respectively. When CPI-M legislator and former minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah went to the area, he was attacked allegedly by TMC workers, led by former lawmaker Arabul Islam.

Speaking to Gulf News, former CPM Member of Parliament Mohammed Salim said: “It is heartening to know that the government has finally woken up to the ground realities. We have been demanding security for our workers for long time now. In spite of attacking a former minister, Arabul is yet to be arrested and TMC leaders and ministers who are directly responsible for law and order in the state have been praising him and terming him as an asset of TMC.”

TMC insiders inform that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is extremely unhappy with the incidents of last week. “On one hand when we are organising summits to bring in investments into the state and on the other side members of the ruling party is involved in hooliganism which is completely unacceptable and will send a wrong message to the investors’ community,” Banerjee has reportedly told his senior ministers.