In a major development, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report, on the communal clashes in North 24 Parganas district, from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Union Home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday spoke to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi following the public spat between the two over the communal clashes.
The Home ministry, in a written communication, also sought a detailed report from the Bengal government on the violence in the district following an "objectionable" Facebook post and the steps taken to restore normalcy.
In his separate telephone conversations with Tripathi and Banerjee, the Home minister took stock of the prevailing situation in the riot-hit area. The Governor and Chief Minister are believed to have explained their respective positions to him, who counselled them to resolve their differences amicably, sources said.
Meanwhile, at a press meet on Wednesday evening, Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of conspiring to instigate unrest in the state and announced the formation of "Shanti Vahini" (peace force) at the booth-level to maintain peace and communal harmony.
"We have taken an administrative decision to create 'Shanti Vahini' in the state by including area police and students and youth from each locality," she said here.
The Trinamool Congress supremo said the teams would get administrative backing and work in tandem with the police to maintain peace in their localities.
"They will monitor if anyone is conspiring to spread tension or start a riot in their area. The teams will also check if these people are misleading locals by spreading rumours about robbery or riot in order to polarise them for their own benefits," she said.
Banerjee said the situation was "normal" in North 24-Parganas district's Basirhat sub-division, where communal tension prevailed for three days.
Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party, Banerjee said a political party should not use its power and machinery to spread rumours and trigger a riot.
"A political party can be in power at the Centre or the state but they have no right to start a riot or spread rumours by misusing their power and the government machinery," the Chief Minister said.
"I have heard that provocative statements were made at a meeting near South Kolkata's Hazra More. If it was a mixed area inhabited by different communities, there could have been a riot. The BJP is holding such provocative meetings under their party's banner," she alleged.
"The Presidential election is on the card and the Opposition is united. Sensing this, the BJP is playing all sorts of tricks to divide the Opposition and malign the states ruled by them," Banerjee observed.
Accusing BJP of misusing social media "for their gains", Banerjee said: "During Gangasagar they had tweeted and uploaded a photograph that a stampede had taken place. But nothing of that sort had happened in the Mela." She alleged that the language used by the BJP at a meeting on Hazra More on Tuesday could have created communal tension. She urged people not to get swayed by rumour mongers and behave responsibly. She alleged that the BJP has been using the state machinery to circulate canard against Bengal.
Banerjee ruled out the possibility of holding any all party meeting on the issue as demanded by CPI(M) Politburo member Mohammad Selim.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress Secretary Partha Chatterjee on Wednesday alleged that the Governor House has become an office of the BJP and RSS. "The Governor has been misusing his chair and his Constitutional position to malign the state government," he said. Subrata Mukherjee added: "The Governor is simply repeating the BJP's voice as a parrot."
Reacting sharply to Partha Chatterjee's allegations, the Governor issued a statement which read: "The Governor has been apprised of the statement of Partha Chatterjee, Education minister, and regrets to say that this is an attempt to cover the lapses of the state government and divert attention from the main issue of law and order." It further states: "The Governor is fully aware of his constitutional obligations and limitations and needs no lesson from anyone on this count."
Criticising Banerjee for raising questions on how being a Governor, he interfered in the law and order of the state, the statement from the Governor said: "True that the Chief Minister has been democratically elected by the people, but it should not be forgotten that the Governor is also appointed by the President on the recommendation of a democratically elected Union government.
Later on Wednesday night, the Bengal Governor wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee on his conversation with Mamata Banerjee.