Rampurhat in the Birbhum district of West Bengal has been gripped under alleged retributive violence and arson. The horrendous incident of 8 people being charred and dozens of houses burnt in Birbhum has brought the collapse of law and order of the state into question again.
Continued Spree of Violence and Politically Retributive Murders
The Alleged Murder of TMC Panchayat leader Bhadu Sheikh has given birth to an endless cycle of violence and arson against hapless people of Rampurhat. Crude bombs were thrown at Bhadu Sheikh by unknown assailants, after which Sheikh was taken to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. The mob attacked dozens of houses in a vengeance hysteria and as per the news sources, 8 people have been reportedly burnt alive including two children.
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DGP Manoj Malviya had said “ Eight people were killed in the incident. Seven dead bodies were recovered from a single house. One among the three injured died today morning at the hospital”.
Post Violence Politics
The political accusations continue to and fro in Bengal. The opposition is condemning the Rampurhat carnage in one voice, be it the largest opposition BJP or the Congress and Left Party CPI(M). The BJP leaders are blaming the CM, and want her to resign. West Bengal BJP also suggests President rule to be imposed, as the only option to save innocent victims from such an endless killing frenzy.
Leader of Opposition (LOP) Shivendu Adhikari in his tweet has hit out at the government over this heart wrenching incident and has informed that a party delegation will visit the site and they will also meet the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to apprise him about the ground situation. Congress State President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wants imposition of Article 355 while CPI(M) State Secretary Mohammed Salim too blames CM for this.The TMC as always has dismissed it as a BJP conspiracy.
Law & order situation across West Bengal is grave. 26 murders have taken place in last one week in different parts of the state. Center should intervene & use Art.356 (President's Rule) or Art.355 to take the situation in their control in Bengal: WB BJP chief Suvendhu Adhikari pic.twitter.com/bkPUK6v6Zy
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2022
State Government and Police Response
Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted by the state government which will be led by West Bengal’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) ADG Gyanwant Singh. The SIT has been given the responsibility to probe the matter. The ruling party TMC has sent a team of 3 MLAs under Minister Farhad Hakim to visit the site and get a sense and understanding of the ground situation.
West Bengal | SIT is of no use. I will meet President of India over #Birhum incident, will suggest him to consider (imposing) Article 355 in the state. Law and order situation getting worse worse, people feel unsafe in Bengal: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress pic.twitter.com/VsCV6qk75w
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2022
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DGP Malviya has refuted it as any “political violence”. He said, “ The cause of fire is being investigated but if it is in retaliation, then it is due to personal enmity”.
Tussle Between the CM and the Governor Continues
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has been speaking outrightly about the violence culture and states’ inactive response or tacit support to such lawlessness and retributive violence. On the gruesome violence in Rampurhat he has made the following tweet showing his agony on the matter and thoughts with the victims.
Horrifying violence and arson orgy #Rampurhat #Birbhum indicates state is in grip of violence culture and lawlessness. Already eight lives lost.
Have sought urgent update on the incident from Chief Secretary.
My thoughts are with the families of the bereaved. pic.twitter.com/vtI6tRJcBX
— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) March 22, 2022
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Mamata Banerjee in response has sent a letter to denounce Governor Dhankar’s statements. She said, “It pains me that you have chosen an unfortunate incident in Rampurhat to pass sweeping, uncalled for comments on law and order situation in the state. This incident is unfortunate”.
Central Agencies keeping a close eye
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also asked the state to file a report on the Birbhum, Rampurhat incident within the next 72 hours. MHA will be sending a Joint Secretary-level officers team to Bengal, as per Bengal BJP Chief Sukanta Majumdar. He said this after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The incident has taken lives of innocent children too and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sought a report from SP Birbhum within three days.
Cases of political Vendetta and revenge killing of the opponents are only increasing in the state of West Bengal. The media, “intellectuals” and “liberals” are neglecting it like the Kashmiri Hindus’ genocide of 1980s and 1990s, as they see a new messiah in Mamata Baneerjee against Narendra Modi whom they see as a sworn enemy.
The sorry state of affairs in Bengal has to be checked by the Centre or the Judiciary, otherwise somewhere down the line “The Bengal Files” will also be brushed under the carpet just like the other unfortunate hindu massacres have been.
