Mafia is ruling West Bengal: BJP fact finding team on Birbhum incident

New Delhi, March 30 A BJP fact finding team probing the Birbhum incident on Wednesday claimed that under TMC leadership, 'Mafia is ruling' West Bengal in connivance with police and political leadership.

The members of the committee included Rajya Sabha member and former IPS officer Brij Lal, Lok Sabha member and former Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, MP and former IPS officer K.C. Ramamurthy, and national spokesperson and former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh.

As per the report submitted to party chief J.P. Nadda, the law and order machinery has totally collapsed. The law-abiding citizens of West Bengal have lost faith in the government and the mode of governance by the TMC as officers themselves have become cogs in the TMC hierarchy.

"The carnage in Bagtui village is the outcome of state-sponsored extortion, goonda tax, cut-money, tollbazi and also the rivalry among its illegal beneficiaries. Chief Minister of West Bengal decided to visit the spot only after the BJP's Fact Finding Team had already reached Kolkata," it said.

It further claimed that because of the 'forced' CM's visit, the team was prevented and its journey was thwarted by the TMC goons who were bent upon assaulting the team.

"Not even a single officer/constable of West Bengal Police was visible, nobody came to the rescue of the fact finding team when it was attacked and cleared the passage for the committee to visit the scene of offence. Our efforts to contact the DGP and other officers failed," the report said.

It is learnt that the SDPO and the Inspector of Police were present close to the scene of offence, but they did not bother to visit the spot even when they were kept informed. They even failed to allow the fire tenders to reach the place to put off flames. Their timely intervention could have saved precious lives.

"Local residents have deserted their homes fearing threat to their life and property. In view of this, it is recommended that NHRC, National Commission for Women and the National Commission for Women and Child Rights to visit Bagtui village and instill confidence-building measures for early return of people to their respective homes in the village," the team said in its report.

The report recommends that All India Service Officers serving in West Bengal be made to realise their constitutional obligations and the Centre should strongly caution them.

It is learnt that Nadda appreciated the role played by the team in trying circumstances. The BJP president reiterated about the mandate of the party to work for truth, justice and overall welfare of the people irrespective of caste, creed and community.

Nadda thanked the Calcutta High Court for entrusting the Central Forensic Laboratory to collect samples and evidence from the scene of mass carnage.

The BJP chief also thanked the Calcutta High Court for directing to install CCTV cameras at the scene of offence and to protect the scene of offence and for ordering a CBI Inquiry into the entire incident, which was one of the fact finding team's demands.