Rajnath takes a dig at Mamata govt over law and order in WB

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday attacked the Trinamool Congress government over law and order in West Bengal, claiming that women, people and even policemen are not safe in the state and also questioned its version on the recent violence in Malda.

Singh also took a dig at the Mamata Banerjee government over its global business summit held earlier this month and said that holding such programmes will not be able to bring in investments in the state unless the government improves law and order and ensures good governance.

"Despite TMC's slogan for ushering in change, ‘Ma-mati-manush’ (mother, earth and people) and even police are not secure in West Bengal. The TMC government has not been able to bring in any change in Bengal," Singh told a Bharatiya Janata Party rally in poll-bound West Bengal.

Referring to the violence in Malda, he refuted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement that it was a result of tussle between Border Security Force officials and locals.

"The incident in Malda is not a small incident. I want to tell the TMC government that the Malda case should be solved. Whoever may be involved in the incident should be arrested. Only few arrests can't solve the case," he said.

"Let me assure you, whoever is behind the Malda incident will not be spared. They will be arrested and booked," Singh said.

He said, "It is being said that the (Malda) violence was a result of tussle between BSF and locals. But it is not true. Are they (state government) trying to safeguard those forces which attacked the BSF official?"

"Will those who attacked BSF roam free? This is the same BSF which had given befitting reply to Pakistani forces in the Indo-Pak border," Singh said.

Responding to Singh's attack, TMC national spokesperson Derek O’Brien said, "Mr Rajnath Singh, Malda is your creation. As the home minister of the country you should not be on a mission to stoke communal tension."

"The country knows this is a well-known tactic BJP uses when elections are at hand. And all this coming from a central government which is running the nation using ‘agencies’ to pursue its own cynical agenda," he added.

"You are using a political meeting to threaten the state. Which home minister with a conscience would do that?" O'Brien said.

Seeking people's support in the coming assembly elections, Singh said, "There will be assembly elections in West Bengal very soon. There will be change in Bengal too. I appeal to you that give us strength in the state assembly. We will do everything to change the situation in the state."

"The people from Bengal tell us that they want change. But what will they do? Polling booths are looted. As the home minister of the country, I want to assure you that you all will be able to exercise your franchise in a free and fair way," he said adding he will tell Election Commission that the required number of central forces for Bengal will be made available.

Image: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during a rally at Ashok Nagar in North 24 Parganas on Thursday. Photograph: Ashok Bhaumik/ PTI Photo