Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responsible for the violence that erupted in Hooghly and Howrah during the Ram Navami processions. The Chief Minister alleged that the BJP workers “deliberately took out the rally during the time of namaz to incite people.” Banerjee also questioned the need for the fact-finding team "when normalcy has been restored". She said that the situation in the violent-hit areas has been brought under control and alleged that the BJP is sending a fact-finding team" to "incite violence".
"The incident happened because of BJP... Police have not given permission. In the meeting, they said they will do it in the afternoon but deliberately took out the rally during the time of namaz to incite people," Mamata said. "Now that the situation has been bought under control, BJP is sending a fact-finding team to further incite violence... What is the need for a fact-finding team, when normalcy has been restored?" she asked.
Violence in Hooghly and Howrah
West Bengal has witnessed violence in parts of Hooghly and Howrah districts during Ram Navami processions. Later, police did not allow the ‘fact-finding’ team, led by retired Patna High Court judge L Narasimha Reddy, to visit any of the violence-hit areas citing prohibitory orders.
Fact-finding team demands NIA probe
The fact-finding panel sought a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the violence. The fact-finding team was on a three-day tour of West Bengal to assess alleged human rights violations in the state.
The Committee consist of former Patna High Court Chief Justice L Narsimha Reddy, former IPS Raj Pal Singh, former member of National Commission for Women advocate Charu Wali Khanna, former Joint Registrar (Law) National Human Rights Commission of India advocate OP Vyas, senior journalist Sanjeev Nayak and former consultant National Commission for Protection of Child Rights advocate Bhavna Bajaj.
The Committee in its report said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee just before the processions on Ram Navami, while sitting on dharna, made a call through a communal speech that any procession passing through 'muslim areas' (as spoken verbatim) will be seriously acted upon.
The Committee said it appeared that communally charged mob violence broke out against people taking part in the peaceful Ram Navami processions and at the same time the state police was found completely missing in action to control rioters. The Committee sought appropriate police action in the matter by filing FIRs against the culprits behind the riots, to achieve the ends of justice for the victims.
The Committee also sought that the investigation of the riots be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to ensure that the investigations are being carried out in a fair, impartial and independent manner; protection be provided to persecuted and fearful victims so that their life can return to normalcy, including withdrawal of false cases against innocent persons and deployment of Central Forces may be extended as a confidence-building measure for the victims who have lost faith in the state police.
(With ANI inputs)
Also Read: Rama Navami procession largely 'peaceful' across India, clashes in Howrah | DETAILS
