Malda violence: BJP team meets Rajnath, seeks probe

Stepping up its attack on the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal over Malda violence, a Bharatiya Janata Party delegation met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday and demanded a high-level probe into the matter, alleging it had links with fake currency and narcotics trade and infiltration.

Accusing the Trinamool Congress government of protecting criminals involved in the incident of 'anarchy and terror', a three-member team led by general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is also its Bengal in-charge, met Singh, who 'assured' them of appropriate action.

"Leaders linked to the TMC were also involved in it. It is not only a matter of state but national security. People who indulge in illegal activities were leading it," Vijayvargiya told media after the meeting.

He alleged that 'pro-Pakistan' slogans were raised by the crowd which also targeted establishments of a particular community.

The delegation also included general secretary Bupender Yadav and Sidharth Nath Singh.

Their meeting with Singh came a day after a 'fact-finding' team of the party was not allowed by the state administration to visit violence-hit Kaliachak which falls in Malda.

In a memorandum submitted to the home minister, the delegation said, 'The BJP demands that keeping in mind the region's sensitivity, the chief minister's allegation against a paramilitary force and infiltration and trade of narcotics and fake currency through it, an impartial action should be taken. The state government should be directed to take positive steps to restore people's sense of security and confidence.'

The TMC has accused the BJP of working to communalise the atmosphere in the state, which goes to polls in a few months, and claimed that the violence was localised and due to the tiff between a section of the crowd and some Border Security Force personnel.

A member of the delegation said the home ministry is likely to send a team to the area.

The memorandum also blames a Muslim organisation for illegally assembling a crowd of over 2 lakh people and targeting local police and administration facilities.

The BJP has alleged that a police station was torched so as to burn the records of local criminals involved in a host of unlawful activities.