Ravi Shankar Prasad-led fact-finding team is BJP's provocation committee, says Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 12 : The fact-finding team led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad is BJP's provocation committee, said West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee here on Wednesday.

She asked, “Where were these teams and committees when Manipur was burning and thousands of people were murdered in Uttar Pradesh in the name of the encounter?” She said that none of the teams have visited these places, but in the past two years, 154 teams have visited Bengal. 

“Where was the fact-finding team when Manipur was burning? Where was the team when Assam was burning due to the NRC, thousands of people were murdered in Uttar Pradesh in the name of the encounter; when wrestlers were protesting against sexual harassment; and when protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) happened in Delhi, which led to violent protests and the burning of property. Meanwhile, within 2 years, so many teams and commissions have visited Bengal; close to 154 teams have visited. These are BJP's provocation committees, not fact-finding committees,” the CM said. 

Earlier in the day, Ravi Shankar Prasad arrived in Kolkata with the fact-finding team constituted by the party to inquire into the violence that erupted during the Gram Panchayat elections.

Talking about the violence in Bhangar, the CM assured that the guilty would be punished. The CM announced compensation and a government job for the family members of the victim. 

“I want to say it is unfortunate so many died. They are victims of circumstances (during WB Panchayat polls). I have told the police to take action. The 19 who have died (family members of the victim) will receive Rs 2 lakh in compensation and a special home guard job. These comprise 10 from TMC. We will not look into their parties,” she said. 

The CM said that the Trinamool Congress party will not celebrate Martyr's Day this year in order to pay homage to the victims of panchayat violence. On July 21, a mass rally has been organised by the Trinamool Congress party to commemorate the 1993 Kolkata firing as Martyrs' Day.

“We will not celebrate July 21. We will observe it as a solemn occasion to pay homage to the martyrs.” 

She went on to say that there were disturbances in 60 booths and questioned why no action was taken against the miscreants even though central forces were deployed there. 

“There were disturbances in 60 booths. I want to ask those who threw the ballot box—I know CPI (M) workers did it—why no action has been taken against them. There was someone who threw water on the ballot box. Why wasn’t the person arrested? We complied with the court’s order. Central forces were sent, and we accepted that,” the CM added. 

The CM compared the BJP to a washing machine, as when a person joins the party, they get a clean chit for wrongdoing. Talking about Ajit Pawar's move to join the Shinde-BJP government on July 2 in Maharashtra, she alleged that the BJP has bought the entire government and questioned from where they got the money for the same. She further questioned whether the ED would investigate it or not. 

The CM went on to question the Congress party leadership as to why she should support the Congress party at the national level in their fight against the BJP when Congress party leaders abuse her in the state. 

“Congress in Bengal abuses me and on the national platform, wants my support. How does it work like this?”