The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a detailed report on the violence that ensued in West Bengal’s Birbhum district’s Rampurhat where eight people were reportedly burnt alive after several houses were set on fire over the alleged murder of a Trinamool Congress leader Bahadur Sheikh– the deputy chief of the Barshal gram panchayat.
MHA’s intervention comes after a delegation of nine Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday. An MHA official quoted by ANI said, “MHA has sought a detailed fact report from West Bengal government over Birbhum incident which claimed lives of eight people after houses were set on fire.”
BJP leader and the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and Suvendu Adhikary in a series of tweets urged the central government’s intervention in the matter. One of his tweets read, “The nightlong barbarity has lead to the death of at least 12 people till now; mostly women. Charred bodies are being recovered as of now. Administrative cover-up has already begun with attempts being made to lower the body count. IMMEDIATE CENTRAL INTERVENTION REQUIRED…”
Meanwhile, Congress’ leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has said he will urge President Ram Nath Kovind to impose Article 355 in West Bengal citing the law and order situation in the state. Chowdhury said, “Special Investigation Team is of now use. I will meet the President of India over the Birbhum incident and will suggest him to consider (imposing) Article 355 in the state. Law and order situation getting worse, people feel unsafe in Bengal.”
Director-General of Police (DGP) West Bengal, Manoj Malviya has informed that 11 persons have been arrested in the case so far.
