TMC claims political killings went down in Mamata regime

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, December 30

Drawing up a comparison with the last CPI(M)-led Left Front regime, West Bengal’s ruling TMC on Wednesday claimed drastic reduction in the number of political killings in the state.

A memorandum, submitted to President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday by TMC MPs demanding removal of Jagdeep Dhankhar from the post of Governor of West Bengal, stated that the figure of political murders during last 10 years of the Left Front regime was six times more than the first nine years of TMC rule in the state.

Quoting data available with the NCRB, the memorandum said that while West Bengal witnessed 663 political murders between 2001 and 2011 (Left Front regime), the figure came down to 113 during the period from 2011 to 2019 (TMC government).

Claiming an overall improvement in the law and order situation in the state, including trouble spots such as the Maoist infested Jangal Mahal and the Gorkhaland agitation epicentre Darjeeling Hills, the memorandum stated that despite the positive changes, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spread canards against West Bengal Government during his visits to the state in November and December.

Shah’s comments on the issue of law and order situation were being echoed and amplified by Governor Dhankhar through his tweets, press statements and press conferences, TMC MPs alleged in the memorandum submitted to the President.

The memorandum stated that the public stance adopted by Dhankhar against state government (describing law and order at its lowest ebb and demanding public apology from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the attack on BJP chief JP Nadda’s convoy during his recent visit to West Bengal) was uncalled for and clearly showed that the Governor was acting under instruction of BJP ministers at the Centre and trying to show the West Bengal Government in a bad light.

Copy of the memorandum signed by five TMC office bearers in the Parliament, including Sudip Bandopadhyay (leader of TMC in Lok Sabha) and Derek O’Brien (leader of TMC in Rajya Sabha), was distributed here by Sukhendu Sekhar Ray (chief whip of TMC in Rajya Sabha), who is one of the signatories to the memorandum.

Constitutional experts in Kolkata, however, questioned the legal validity of demanding removal of the Governor under Article 156 (1) of the Constitution.