West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday, 10 May, alleged that the state was in “deep crisis” which is “worrisome”. As Mamata Banerjee’s TMC took power once again in the state, Dhankhar, after administering oath to 43 ministers in Banerjee’s cabinet, said he will soon visit the areas affected by poll violence .
According to ANI, Dhankhar on Monday said, “Post poll, we are in a deep crisis in the state. The retributive violence and acts of arson and loot have now graduated to intimidation and extortion. This is worrisome. I will be visiting the violence-hit areas in the state.”
He added that it was his Constitutional duty to visit the affected areas, but the government has not been very responsive.
As per the report, he said, "I expect state government to engage in soul searching, address grim ground reality and book the culprits who have chosen to tarnish our democratic fabric."
“If your vote becomes the cause of your death or destruction of your property; if it leads to arson, that signals the end of democracy,” he said, as per PTI.
Significantly, ahead of the oath-taking, Dhankhar had sanctioned CBI prosecution against four leaders, including two who were sworn-in on Monday – Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee – in connection with the Narada case. The other two are Madan Mitra and Sovan Chatterjee
Mamata Says Bengal is Peaceful
Banerjee had recently stated that at least 16 people lost their lives due to violent clashes. Multiple instances of violence, loot and plunder have been reported across West Bengal since 2 May, after the results for the Legislative Assembly elections were declared and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) came back to power with a massive majority.
On Monday, however, speaking to reporters in Kolkata, as per PTI, Banerjee said, “West Bengal is peaceful, there is no violence”.
Mamata Banerjee took oath as Chief Minister of West Bengal for the third time on Wednesday, 5 May. While her party won 213 seats in the Assembly, the BJP came in second with 77 seats. The Left-Congress-ISF alliance got just one seat and an Independent won another.
Forty-three leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were sworn-in as ministers in the West Bengal government on Monday, 10 May, more than a week after the party won a resounding majority in the state Assembly elections with 213 of the 292 seats.
According to reports, while 25 of these were incumbents and 18 were new faces. The latter included cricketer Manoj Tiwary, ex-IPS officer Humayun Kabir, Akhil Giri and Biplab Mitra.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
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