Mamata Visits Birbhum, Announces Ex Gratia; NHRC Sends Notice to WB Govt

Mamata Banerjee also announced a financial aid of Rs 2 lakh for reconstructing the damaged houses.

Mamata Banerjee in Birbhum.

(Photo: The Quint)

Two days after at least eight people were killed and several others were injured in the violence in the Rampurhat area of West Bengal's Birbhum district, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday, 24 March, reached Bogtui village, where the incident had taken place.

After meeting the families that were affected by the violence, Banerjee handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of those killed and announced government jobs for them.

She also announced a financial aid of Rs 2 lakh for reconstructing the damaged houses.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairperson Justice Arun Mishra took suo motu cognisance of the killings in Birbhum, and sent notices to the state government over the matter.

"NHRC has taken cognizance of the media reports of violence in West Bengal and has sent notices to the state government through the chief secretary and DGP. We've sought reports from them within four weeks," Deputy Director, Media and Communication of NHRC, Jaimini Kumar Srivastava was quoted as saying by ANI.

Speaking about the incident earlier, Banerjee said that the role of 'outsiders' must be probed in the violence and ordered the DG to arrest the TMC block president.

After her statement, the party's block president Anarul Hossain was arrested in connection with the case on Thursday afternoon.

Banerjee's visit comes just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured full support to the state government in probing the incident.

Meanwhile, censuring the Banerjee-led administration, West Bengal Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "I've demanded that Section 355 of Constitution be invoked in state. We have also demanded a Court-monitored CBI probe. Bengal CM had come here on a picnic today. She came on a helicopter, held meeting, had food and then left. She should have listened to the locals."

TMC Delegation Meets Amit Shah, Demands Removal of Governor

Meanwhile, a 13-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation led by Derek O' Brien and Sudip Bandyopadhyay met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday.

"We've said that Governor of West Bengal should be removed, in view of the Rampurhat, Birbhum incident. His work is against our constitutional system. Parliamentary democratic system is under threat," Bandyopadhyay said after the meeting.

BJP Delegation Reaches Bagtui Village in Birbhum; District Cop Suspended

A BJP delegation, led by West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar, reached Bagtui Village in Rampurhat, Birbhum, to meet the victims of arson and violence.

Meanwhile, the additional DGP Law & Order, West Bengal, said the inspector in charge of Birbhum district had been suspended.

"Tridip Pramanik, Inspector of Police, presently posted as Inspector in Charge, Rampurhar PS, Birbhum district suspended with immediate effect for his gross misconduct and dereliction of duty unbecoming of a member of a disciplined Police force," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Meanwhile, all India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the state government had failed to control violence in Bengal.

"Whatever happened in Birbhum shows that the government is using Muslims as their foot soldiers. Two groups of same political party creating violence where severals are killed including children is condemnable. The state government has failed to control violence in Bengal," he told ANI.

Birbhum Violence

At least eight people were killed on Tuesday after miscreants allegedly set fire to the houses of Sona Sheikh, Mihilal Sheikh, Fatik Sheikh, and Banirul Sheikh, supposedly distant relatives of Bhadu Sheikh, in what the police suspect is in retaliation to the latter's alleged murder.

Bhadu Sheikh was a TMC leader who was elected as a member of the Barshal gram panchayat and was made the deputy chief in 2018.

"The incident is condemnable. No one will be spared and this incident is a big conspiracy as some people are trying to defame West Bengal," Banerjee had said on Wednesday.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to probe the matter and eleven people were arrested. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had also sought a report from the state administration over the incident of violence.