KOLKATA: Governor CV Ananda Bose, who is presently visiting New Delhi, met the Union Home minister Amit Shah and submitted a report to him on the violence relating to the Panchayat polls in Bengal.
After meeting Shah on Monday, he told reporters that “the darkest hour is just before dawn”.
“There will be light at the end of the tunnel. The only message I could get today is — if winter comes can spring be far behind? Good will happen in the days to come,” Bose said.
The Governor left for New Delhi on an unscheduled visit. Raj Bhavan sources had said that he would meet the Union Home minister Amit Shah and submit to him a report on the situation in Bengal. He also met President of India, Draupadi Murmu.
Bose has been vocal since the nomination process for the Panchayat polls began in the state and during which, the incidents of violence became apparent in some districts of the state.
In the run-up to the poll day, Bose visited the violence-stricken areas and even regretted appointing Rajiva Sinha as the State Election Commissioner. He said he appointed Sinha but the latter failed to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election.
Bose had compiled a report where he listed his observations during his visit to several areas. The Governor had sent his report to the State Election Commission and had asked the latter to act on it. On the poll day on July 8, Bose was on the road even before the polls started. He visited various places taking note of the situation on the ground.
He urged the people to go out and vote. As to what exactly the Governor is going to discuss with Shah is not known but he will likely convey his observations to him. While the TMC has blamed the Governor for the poll violence, the Opposition parties said that Bose must urge the Centre to take appropriate action.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the BJP is sending a fact-finding team to Bengal once the poll results are out. It will be a four-member team led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad (convenor) and comprising Satyapal Singh MP, Ex-Commissioner Mumbai Police, Rajdeep Roy MP and Rekha Verma MP.
Meanwhile, TMC is sending a fact-finding team to violence-hit Manipur on July 14. The team will comprise MPs Derek O’Brien, Kalyan Banerjee, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Dola Sen. Sushmita Dev is also a part of the delegation that will go to Manipur, it was learnt.