Pre-poll violence in WB: Guv summons top officials

Unabated political violence in West Bengal on Thursday came into sharp focus ahead of assembly polls with Governor M K Narayanan asking top state government officials to take immediate steps for maintaining law and order and the Election Commission deciding to send a team of senior police officers to assess the situation.

Moving into a pro-active mode, the Governor summoned Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh, Home secretary G D Gautama and Director General of Police N Mukherjee and discussed the situation.

Gautama later told mediapersons in Kolkata that the Governor asked the government to take immediate steps to prevent recurrence of violence and concentrate more attention on maintaining law and order.

Narayanan was briefed about measures taken by the state to curb growing violence, Gautama said.

"The Governor cited no specific issues or incidents and held a general review of the law and order situation in the state," he said.

After suspected Communist Party of India-Marxist armed cadre gunned down seven villagers at Netai village in Lalgarh on January 7, Narayanan had issued a strongly-worded statement saying it was a day of "sorrow and shame" for the state and "no democracy can allow such violence".

Taking note of the political violence, the Election Commission decided to depute a team of five senior police officers, led by the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar, to West Bengal on Monday to make a first-hand assessment of the situation there.

The team will visit different districts and make an on-the-spot assessment and submit a report to the commission, the EC said in a statement in New Delhi.

State Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said the team would reach Kolkata on Monday.

The decision to send a team has been taken following representations from several political parties, who had met the EC officials in New Delhi and in Kolkata recently, and media reports on the issue, the EC statement added.

Noting that assembly polls to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry were due by May-June, the EC said it was taking all necessary measures, including keeping a watch on the law and order situation in these states.

West Bengal is witnessing a spate of violence in the past few months, including violence by Maoists and clashes between Trinamool Congress and Left parties.

Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi had during his visit to Kolkata a few days ago voiced serious concern over the law and order situation in West Bengal.