MHA forms fact finding team to probe post-election violence in West Bengal

NEW DELHI: Multiple reports of brutal killings, arson, loot, rape and vandalism have come forth from different parts of the state since May 2, when Trinamool Congress rose back to power for the third consecutive term in the state.

As a result of the violence, hundreds of BJP workers and their families have crossed over to Assam from the Cooch Behar district in north Bengal, where they are being housed in several camps.

The central govt had asked the state govt to send a report on the ongoing violence, but as the state govt failed to that, now a four-member fact-finding central team has been sent to West Bengal by the Union Home Ministry of India to study the situation.

The team, which would be led by the additional secretary of the ministry, would have to assess the ground situation in the state and submit its report on post poll violence in the next 48-72 hours to the Union Home Ministry.

On Wednesday, the central government had sent a curt reminder to the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal to submit a detailed report on the post-poll violence. It had also ordered the state govt to take necessary measures to stop such incidents “without any loss of time”.

Despite repeated reminders from MHA, the Mamata Banerjee government did not respond until May 5, forcing the centre to depute a team that would now monitor the grim situation in Bengal.