West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized a fact-finding team that probed the recent violence during Ram Navami processions in Shibpur and Rishra in West Bengal, whose conclusions seemed to match with the BJP’s allegations against her government. Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister questioned whether the fact-finding committee was authorized by the Supreme Court or High Court or whether it was from the government or the party. Rejecting the team’s findings, she said the violence was criminal violence and not communal violence, as not a single person died or got injured in the incident. She blamed the BJP for the violence and questioned why people in a religious procession would carry arms, dance with a gun, and bring bulldozers.
A fact-finding team of civil society members consisting of a former Chief Justice of Patna High Court, a former IPS officer from the Haryana Cadre, an advocate and former member of the National Commission for Women, and senior journalists tried to visit the places affected by the violence but were stopped by the police from doing so. The team met the center-appointed West Bengal Governor to report on the situation.It seems that there is ongoing political tension in West Bengal, with the team meeting the state’s Governor and the Calcutta High Court hearing a plea by the BJP for an NIA probe into recent violence in two districts. The Chief Minister has criticized the team’s visit, while Justice Reddy has defended it, saying that anyone can visit if there is nothing to hide. It will be interesting to see how this situation develops and whether any investigations are launched in response to the violence.
