West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose met several BJP supporters who are allegedly victims of post-poll violence at Raj Bhawan on Sunday. He said he would not meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while people like them were prevented from meeting him.
Several BJP supporters who claimed that they were victims of post-poll violence were stopped from meeting the Governor on June 13 by Kolkata Police who claimed that prohibitory orders under Section 144 had been imposed at Raj Bhawan. The BJP supporters were led by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
On Sunday, the BJP supporters led by Suvendu Adhikari were allowed inside Raj Bhawan and they met the Governor. The BJP supporters along with Mr. Adhikari, wore placards with photographs of those allegedly attacked during post poll violence.
1025 plaints of violence
Referring to the Calcutta High Court order by Justice Kaushik Chanda, who directed that those affected by post-poll violence could lodge complaints over email, Mr. Adhikari said 1,025 complaints have been sent to the Director General of Police.
The BJP leader said that the complaints include physical assault, vandalism of homes and shops, threats forcing people to flee their homes, and ration cards being taken away. Mr. Adhikari said that about 3,200 people are staying in several safe houses across the State.
Governor Bose, who also addressed the BJP supporters said that he will try to implement the Calcutta High Court order in letter and spirit. He said police officers who did not allow the victims of post poll violence to meet him on June 13 should be transferred. “We will fight against violence, and we will make Bengal free of violence,” the Governor said.
While relations between Raj Bhawan and the State government have been far from cordial, the issue of post-poll violence is likely to precipitate the situation. State’s Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have not met since allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against the Governor by a Raj Bhawan staff member on May 2.
Meanwhile, a four-member BJP team set up by party president J.P. Nadda to inquire into post-poll violence arrived in Kolkata on Sunday. The team of BJP MPs is led by Biplab Kumar Deb, and the other MPs include Ravi Shankar Prasad, Brij Lal and Kavita Patidar.
BJP delegation
The team is likely to visit the BJP safe houses in Kolkata and adjoining districts of the State and meet victims of post poll violence.
While announcing the team’s formation the BJP leadership issued a press statement accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of “remaining a mute spectator while criminals linked to her party attacked and intimidated Opposition workers and voters with impunity.”
The BJP statement claimed that while there was no political violence reported from anywhere in the country after the general elections, West Bengal “continues to be in the grip of post-poll violence, the kind we saw after the 2021 Assembly elections.”
Prior to this the BJP leadership sent teams to West Bengal to look into allegations of political violence after the 2021 Assembly polls. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the TMC won 29 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats and restricted the BJP to 12 seats.
Published - June 17, 2024 02:12 am IST
