Law and order situation in West Bengal alarming: Jagdeep Dhankar

The law and order situation in West Bengal is alarming: the terrorist group Al-Qaeda has its presence in the state and some members of terror outfits were arrested while state agency had no idea about it, state Governor Jagdeep Dhankar said on Friday.

"Law and order situation in West Bengal is very alarming. We have terror outfits like Al-Qaeda. It's a threat to national security. Six were arrested and the 3 arrested from elsewhere are also from this area. Police and state agency had no idea about it. It's a serious matter," Dhankar said.

In the month of September, The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had busted Pakistan sponsored Al-Qaeda modules in Murshidabad, West Bengal and Ernakulam, Kerala and arrested nine terrorists.

The NIA conducted simultaneous raids at multiple locations in Ernakulam and Murshidabad in which nine arrests were made, six from West Bengal and three from Kerala, according to the probe agency.

The NIA had received inputs about an inter-state module of Al-Qaeda operatives at various locations in the country who were planning to undertake terrorist attacks at vital places with the aim to kill innocent people and create terror.

Meanwhile, speaking on the upcoming assembly polls, he said there will be fair poll in the state and that's his promise.

"I belong to Rajasthan but as I am here in West Bengal, I promise I will ensure fair polls. The violence that takes place during the election is being stigmatised in West Bengal, which is cultural epicentre of the world. Why our faces should be blackened by such kind of political violence," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )