West Bengal update – Mamata Says Cops Given Free Hand to Apprehend Culprits

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she was saddened by the deaths that occurred during “sporadic” incidents of violence during the panchayat elections and she

has given the state police a “Free Hand to Apprehend Culprits” to those involved. Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat ‘Nabanna’, the chief minister said, “I am saddened by the deaths (during the panchayat elections). They are victims of circumstances. I have given a free hand to the police to take action against all those involved in any case of violence. The state will be giving Rs 2 lakh compensation to the 19 people who lost their lives since the dates of the panchayat elections were announced. Among these, 10-12 were from TMC itself .” “ The kin of the deceased will get jobs as Home Guards,” she added. Attacking the BJP for sending a fact-finding team to the state, she said, “The BJP, time and again, sends central teams to Opposition-ruled States. Then why stop us from sending teams to other states to monitor the violence perpetrated by BJP’s misrule? This is not how the country is supposed to be run.” A four-member BJP fact-finding team, led by the former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, visited violence-hit areas of West Bengal on Wednesday. Criticising the BJP for “shunning political decency”, Mamata said, “There has been a spate of lies and malicious campaigns leveled against Trinamool. Since the day the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014, the central government’s tone and tenor towards Opposition-ruled states changed. Their sole agenda is to keep creating hindrances in the smooth functioning of the state government. The BJP has never engaged in constructive development in our country.” Speaking on the incidents of violence reported in Bhangar on Wednesday, she alleged that Opposition workers had “gheraoed the Block Development Officer (BDO) and senior police officials”. “Despite the deployment of 80,000 central armed forces personnel, how could violence occur in Bhangar? Trinamool had won in the area, yet the Opposition workers gheraoed the BDO and senior police officials. All these people will be brought to the booking. The safety and security of the people is more important to me than winning a seat or two,” said the TMC chief.