West Bengal Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty said that law and order was indeed the responsibility of the State government and it will have to maintain it. He was responding to media’s queries regarding Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s remarks in this regard in New Delhi on Thursday.
The Minister had asked the Left Front government on Thursday to maintain law and order “whatever be the provocation,” following clashes during the campaign for by-elections in the State.
He told reporters at the Secretariat that the report on the Arambagh incident was expected on Friday and action would be taken against the police if it was proven that they had not discharged their duties properly.
On the Maoist menace, he said it was necessary to stay alert and keep a constant vigil in these areas as they (the Maoists) were trying to disrupt normal life. Mr. Chakraborty said that not only the Maoists but their associates were also trying to foment trouble in the area. He however felt that the situation had improved since the commencement of the operations by the joint forces.
Mr. Chakraborty said security had been tightened in view of the scheduled visit of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to Paschim Medinipur for two days beginning November 7.
