Kolkata: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has approached the Supreme Court seeking imposition of President's rule in West Bengal in connection with alleged harassment of women and land grabbing by TMC leader and his aides in Sandeshkhali. Also, a case has been filed in Calcutta High Court.
NCSC chairman Arun Halder has recommended President's rule in his report that was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu on Friday. He said, "The miscreants are torturing people in Sandeshkhali while the administration is inactive. If the administration is unable to protect the common people, then President's rule can be imposed there."
Halder's statement has drawn severe criticism from ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders. TMC spokesperson and state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, "A petty BJP leader who now holds a position is threatening us with President's rule. If you have the guts then go ahead and impose President's rule here. The more one speaks of President's rule and CBI-ED, the more people will go against BJP in polls."
TMC parliamentarian Shantanu Sen raised questions about the political affiliation of the members of the various commissions. "All the members of the commissions are either BJP workers or MLAs. It is natural for them to give such recommendations. When there is violence against women in a state ruled by a double engine government, they turn a blind eye," Sen said.
BJP chief spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya claimed that the law and order situation and the constitutional framework has broken down in West Bengal. "The constitutional bodies are under attack. Courts are under attack. Judges are affected. Constitutional head are affected. With this, everything from basic human rights to the dignity of women is being confiscated," he said.
"The NCSC has given its observations. BJP is not in favour of throwing out any elected government by issuing Article 356. But under what circumstances it will be used is for the defenders of the constitution to say," Bhattacharya added.
Dilip Ghosh, former BJP state president and MP, said there is no denial to the fact that law and order situation is deteriorating in the state "If the government which is supposed to protect the people and provide good governance loots them then there is no place where people can go. Thus, some are going to the Governor, some are going to the President and some are going to the court," Ghosh said.
State Congress leader Ashutosh Chattopadhyay said, "West Bengal is run by a government led by both the BJP and TMC. So, there will never be a President's rule here. The main culprits could not be arrested while the dramas are continuing."
CPI-M Adivasi Janjati organisation leader and central committee member Pulin Bihari Baske said, "I don't know if President's rule will be imposed at all. But what happened and what is going on in Sandeshkhali has never been witnessed before. The damage that the state government is doing to the society is irreparable. The culprits should be arrested immediately."
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