No law & order crisis in state: CM

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday launched a scathing attack on the CPI(M) for its constant propaganda on the law and order situation in the state and bolstered her opinion with data.

She was delivering her address on the Governor Jagdeep Dhankar's speech in the Assembly. She also accused the BJP of doing religious conversions. She gave a detailed account to show how the law and order situations are absolutely normal in the state.

"They (CPM) have been spreading canards and propaganda. They are causing political pollution from depression. Congress in the state has been sold out to the CPI(M). Congress and CPI(M) have become signboards in the state. Congress is the right hand of the CPI(M)."

"During the Left Front regime from 2001-2011, Bengal had witnessed 663 political murders, while during 2011-20, only 154 incidents of political murders took place. In some cases, the opposition parties tried to give political colour to other murder incidents. In 2019, 15 political murders had taken place out of which 13 victims were from Trinamool Congress," Banerjee told the House.

She further stated: "Around 126 police stations have been set up and 12 police districts have been created. There are altogether 551 police stations in the state and 85 fast track courts. We had been in the opposition for a long time. If they (CPIM and Congress) had any political suggestions we would have listened to it. But they are indulging in ugly politics." In her apparent attack at CPI(M) MLA Sujan Chakraborty, Banerjee said: "You concentrate on your business. Oil your own machine. We don't need to think about Bhawanipore, concentrate on Jadavpur."

Chakraborty earlier in his speech said that the vote percentage of various MLAs and ministers had gone down during the last Assembly elections due to Trinamool Congress' misrule.

She also blamed the CPI(M) for the death of two persons at Jalangi in Murshidabad district: "Why did you call bandh on Saraswati puja when two persons were murdered." Replying to Left Front's accusation on why JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh was not allowed to deliver her speech inside the Calcutta University on February 13, Banerjee said: "When I was beaten up by Left Front workers at Hazra More, where these leaders had been. When she (Aishe) was attacked in JNU, I immediately sent Dinesh Trivedi to JNU to express our solidarity. I don't want to do politics in such matter."

The CPI(M) MLAs tried to create a ruckus in the Assembly by interrupting the Chief Minister while she was delivering her speech. The Speaker Biman Banerjee urged the CPI(M) MLAs to maintain the sanctity of the House and not to interrupt the Chief Minister.

A CPI(M) MLA referred to an incident in which a portion of the Assembly was ransacked when the Trinamool Congress Supremo along with other leaders marched to the Assembly after she was denied entry to Singur by the Left Front government.

Chief Minister threw a challenge to the CPI(M) MLA to prove her involvement in the incident. "The video clippings and images are still available. Please go and check if I was involved in the ransacking of the Assembly. I challenge you to prove your allegation through documents."

"You people have done nothing in the past 34 years. We have seen enough incidents of violence in the past 34 years. We have not forgotten Singur, Nandigram, Chamkaitala and other incidents. One has to work for the people to win an election," she added.

She also attacked the BJP by saying: "Women are raped and people are burnt alive in Uttar Pradesh where an absolute lawlessness prevails. In Bengal police take a complaint and initiate a probe after an incident happens. There were instances where police have filed a charge sheet within three days after a rape incident occurred.

"Tribal people are being converted in some districts by the BJP. They are spreading hatred politics. Religions, castes have become the political tools for the BJP. Bengal has a rich cultural tradition and the people here are not familiar with the politics that divides people along the religious lines," Banerjee said.