Mafia rule in West Bengal, Centre's intervention needed to restore law and order: BJP

The BJP had constituted the five-member team in the aftermath of the Birbhum violence, in which eight people were burnt alive in Bogtui village near Rampurhat.

New Delhi: A fact-finding team of the BJP submitted its report on a recent case of violence in West Bengal's Birbhum district, in which nine people were burnt to death, to party president JP Nadda on Wednesday and demanded central intervention for the restoration of law and order in the state. The BJP had constituted the five-member team in the aftermath of the Birbhum violence, in which eight people were burnt alive in Bogtui village near Rampurhat, while one more succumbed to the injuries a week later after a mob allegedly set a group of houses ablaze following the killing of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Bhadu Sheikh on March 21. The team was to visit the affected areas, collect evidence and submit a report at the earliest.

The five members of the panel are Rajya Sabha MP and former Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Brajlal, Lok Sabha MP and former Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh, Rajya Sabha MP and former IPS officer KC Ramamurthy, national spokesperson of the party and former IPS Bharati Ghosh and West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar. Stating that the law-and-order machinery has totally collapsed in West Bengal under the TMC rule, the team said there is a rule of the mafia in the state in connivance with police and the political leadership. Claiming that "state-sponsored extortion, goonda tax, cut-money and tolabazi" were the main reasons behind the violence, the report said the Centre should intervene in the matter and direct officials of the All India Services like the IPS and the IAS to follow the rule of law.

It further alleged that the members of the fact-finding team were attacked and not even a single officer or constable of the West Bengal police came to their rescue. Talking to reporters after submitting the report, Majumdar said the state urgently needs central intervention for the restoration of law and order as there is complete lawlessness and the state police is colluding with the ruling TMC. Following an order of the Calcutta High Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe into the Birbhum violence. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has also constituted a committee to probe the incident.

PTI