Raising questions on the encounter of eight under-trials charged with terrorist activities in Madhya Pradesh [MP], West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that such encounters are taking place in the “name of political vendetta”.
“We do not agree with the so-called encounter theory. Many unanswered questions arise in the minds of the people,” Ms. Banerjee said on social media. Ms Banerjee said that such incidents make her "concerned about national integrity and unity”.
“This is all happening in the name of political vendetta. Issues like these make me deeply concerned about national integrity and unity,” she further added.
Selective Outrage
Civil rights activists welcomed her remarks on controversial encounter in MP, while pointing out that the last time she took a stand about "a fake encounter" was in 2010, when Ms. Banerjee was not in power, in connection with the killing of Maoist leader Azad.
"In all these years she has remained silent on fake encounters and there have been incidents of such encounter in the State. Senior Maoist leader like Kishenji was killed in November 2011 months after she came to power,” Ranajit Sur,, vice president of the Kolkata-based Association For Protection of Democratic Rights said.
Mr. Sur described Ms Banerjee's outrage as “ selective” and said that it appears that she is playing the "minority politics card”. Mr. Sur also questioned her silence on recent Malkangiri encounter.
