Guv calls for restoration of peace & harmony in Bengal
Kolkata: Governor K N Tripathi has urged the leaders of four major political parties and urged them to restore peace and communal harmony in Bengal, which has been hit by repeated incidents of post-poll violence.
The Governor had invited Partha Chatterjee, secretary general of Trinamool Congress, Soumen Mitra, president, West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, Dilip Ghosh, state president, BJP and Suryakanta Misra, state secretary, CPI(M) at Raj Bhavan.
However, BJP was represented by Jayprakash Majumdar, while CPI(M) was represented by Mohammed Salim, politburo member of the party.
While addressing the gathering at SSKM Hospital, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said as the Governor is the Constitutional head, she had sent a representative to attend the meeting. On a different note, she alleged that the Ministry of Home Affairs is engaging BJP cadres to create trouble in Bengal and is spreading canards on social media to malign Bengal.
Earlier, a controversy had been sparked between the Governor and Banerjee over the number of people who had died in incidents of post-poll violence.
While the Governor, in his report to the Union Home minister Amit Shah, had mentioned that 12 people had died, Banerjee claimed that the number is 10 including two BJP supporters.
Somen Mitra said the Governor has asked to restore peace and maintain communal harmony in Bengal. "I have been engaged in active politics for the past five decades but never have I seen such polarisation of voters on communal lines in Bengal," he said.
Mohammed Salim said every incident has been given a communal colour, which has never been the political culture in Bengal and reiterated the Governor's plea to maintain peace and communal harmony.
Jayprakash Mazumdar of BJP said the meeting has proved beyond doubt that the law and order situation has deteriorated in Bengal and its restoration is urgently required. He held Trinamool Congress responsible for the deterioration of the situation in Bengal.
