HC asks Bengal govt to file affidavit in 3 days

The Calcutta high court on Friday asked the West Bengal government to file a report within three days on the post-poll violence that has killed 16 people even as political clashes that have rocked the state for four days winded down.

The high court set up a fivejudge bench headed by acting chief justice Rajesh Bindal to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) related to post-poll violence that started after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won a thumping victory in the assembly polls on Sunday.

Advocate Anindya Sundar Das, who filed the public interest litigation on Thursday, said, “The matter was first heard by the division bench in the morning. Considering its seriousness, the court formed a larger bench comprising five judges.”

The state has been directed to file an affidavit on Monday, specifying areas where violence took place and steps taken by the government. The matter will be heard on Monday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has blamed TMC for the violence and approached the Supreme Court demanding a federal probe into the clashes. But chief minister Mamata Banerjee has accused BJP leaders of spreading fake videos and provoking people. TMC has also pointed out that several of its workers were attacked and killed.

The four-member team of the ministry of home affairs (MHA), which arrived in Kolkata on Thursday and met the home secretary, called on governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at Raj Bhawan on Friday morning. Later, the team left for South 24 Parganas district located adjacent to the state capital and met violence-affected families at villages in Bawali,

Satgachhia and Mohanpur areas. Dhankhar had spoken out against the violence. TMC’S outgoing deputy parliamentary affairs minister Tapas Roy said, “It is unbecoming of a governor.”

“Somebody has to take responsibility for the violence. Where is the problem if the MHA team probes the incidents?” said BJP state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar.

BJP asked its newly elected 77 legislators to boycott the state assembly till violence stops in the state. Members of the BJP’S Mahila Morcha (women’s front) held a demonstration near the state of Gandhi in Maidan area.