A delegation of TMC MPs met Home Minsiter Amit Shah in Delhi regarding the aftermath of violent massacre in Birbhum which took place on Tuesday night. TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay demanded Amit Shah the removal of West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar after he questioned the Mamata Banerjee-led state government over the killings.
Bandyopadhyay after his meeting with HM Shah said, “We’ve said that Governor of West Bengal should be removed, in view of the Rampurhat, Birbhum incident. His work is against our constitutional system. The parliamentary democratic system is under threat.” The MP from Bengal has forwarded a letter to the Home Minister from Mamata Banerjee regarding the same. He assured that while his Chief Minister is catering to the situation in a fine manner, no guilty will be spared who perpetrated the violence.
After meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said, “We’ve said that Governor of West Bengal should be removed, in view of the Rampurhat, Birbhum incident. His work is against our constitutional system. Parliamentary democratic system is under threat.” pic.twitter.com/2MAb2h9U8F
— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2022
On March 22 late-night, a group of enraged miscreants set ablaze around 12 homes which resulted in the gruesome death of eight people including women and innocent children in Birbhum’s Rampurhat. The autopsy report of the burnt bodies shows that the people were beaten before they were locked in their homes before the houses were set on fire. The massacre had taken place in retaliation of the alleged murder of a TMC leader.
Taking cognizance of the violence, West Bengal CM Jagdeep Dhankar said he is considerably pained in a video address released on Twitter. “The Birbhum indicates the state is in grip of violence culture and lawlessness,” he wrote.
Horrifying violence and arson orgy #Rampurhat #Birbhum indicates state is in grip of violence culture and lawlessness. Already eight lives lost.
— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) March 22, 2022
Have sought urgent update on the incident from Chief Secretary.
My thoughts are with the families of the bereaved. pic.twitter.com/vtI6tRJcBX
Attacking West Bengal Governor over his remarks, Mamata Banerjee said, “One ladsahab is sitting here and making statements every time that the situation in West Bengal is bad.” Countering Banerjee over her condescending remarks, Governor Dhankhar wrote an open letter to the Chief Minsiter the next day, asking her to calm down her ‘accusatory stance’ and not to indulge in ‘diversionary tactics’ while the violence has broke in the state. He wrote, “In the face of such enormity, I cannot ‘fiddle’ in Raj Bhawan and sit as a mute spectator. That would be unpardonable abdication of my constitutional duty.”
WB Guv
— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) March 23, 2022
Response to Hon’ble CM Mamata Banerjee on worst in recent memory grisly carnage at Rampurhat, where six women and two children were burnt alive.
This savagery is being justifiably compared by many to incidents in the state few years ago, while HCM was in opposition. pic.twitter.com/Z7vXiVdLFP
While the West Bengal Governor is in no mood to maintain silence over the Birbhum Burnings, the TMC has accused him of ‘meddling unnecessarily’ in the matter while the investigation is on. In a counter letter to Dhankar, Mamata Banerjee wrote, “It pains me that you have chosen an unfortunate incident which occurred in Rampurhat on March 21 that resulted in the loss of precious lives, to pass sweeping and uncalled for comments on the law and order situation in the state.”
On Thursday, Mamata Banerjee reached Baghtoi village in Rampurhat to meet the relatives of the victims killed in the violence. Handing over the cheque of Rs. 5 lakh to the kin of those killed in the violence, she assured that financial aid of Rs 2 lakh will be given for reconstructing affected houses.
#WATCH | West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee meets the kin of those killed in #Birbhum violence. Visuals from Bagtui village, Rampurhat pic.twitter.com/iIhSQjLpu8
— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2022
This was not the first time when a war of words broke between Mamata Banerjee and WB governor Dhankar. The Governor took a fierce stand in Bengal in exposing before the world the cases of post-poll violence which emerged after the 2021 assembly elections. In 2022, when the Governor had raised questions about the rising human rights violations in the state, Sudip Bandyopadhyay had made a similar demand for the removal of Dhankhar before the President.