Image Courtesy:dnaindia.com
In her first action after taking oath on May 5, Mamata Banerjee transferred as many as 29 IPS officers and one IAS officer. Banerjee also brought back Virendra as Director General of Police (DGP) and Javed Shamim as Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order. Both men had been shunted out by the EC. They replaced Nirajnayan who was DGP and has now been moved as DG (Fire Services) and Jagmohan who is now DG (Civil Defence).
On Wednesday, the MHA had written to the West Bengal government accusing it of failure to maintain law and order. But the newly elected administration under Mamata Banerjee refuted the Centre’s claims saying that law and order had deteriorated when the elections were underway and the Election Commission (EC) was incharge. Moreover, most instances were reported from BJP strongholds.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has deputed a team of four bureaucrats to investigate instances of post-poll violence in Bengal. The team left on Thursday morning and is supposed to carry out a fact-finding operation in the next 48 hours.
At least 14 people were reported killed including members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPIM) and even the newly elected Trinamool Congress (TMC) that romped home with a landslide victory in the recently concluded assembly elections.
But as it was discovered, there were also several instances of fake news being deliberately spread to spark violent conflagration. Fact-checking websites and even the West Bengal police had revealed such instances of fake and hate-inducing content spread using social media.
Incidents of violence continued with TMC leader Udayan Guha getting injured in an attack in Dinhata in North Bengal. Guha whose arm was broken in the attack and is recuperating in a hospital blamed the BJP for assaulting him and his security guard.
Meanwhile, the convoy of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and BJP leader V Muraleedharan was attacked while passing through the Panchkhudi area of West Midnapore. He shared a video of some people throwing sticks and stones and chasing his car and alleged that the attackers were “TMC goons”.
TMC goons attacked my convoy in West Midnapore, broken windows, attacked personal staff. Cutting short my trip. #BengalBurning @BJP4Bengal @BJP4India @narendramodi @JPNadda @AmitShah @DilipGhoshBJP @RahulSinhaBJP pic.twitter.com/b0HKhhx0L1
— V Muraleedharan (@VMBJP) May 6, 2021
Muraleedharan was visiting Bengal to look into the instances of post-poll violence being reported from across the state.
Related:
Battleground Bengal: Blame game, fake news aplenty amidst reports of post-poll violence
Battleground Bengal: TMC decimates BJP’s communal agenda