Mamata questions utility of rights body before leaving for Delhi

Kolkata, Nov 22 (IANS) Raising questions on the utility and importance of the Human Rights Commission before going to Delhi on Monday evening, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made it obvious that she would raise the recent incidents of violence in Tripura in her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking to reporters at the airport before leaving for Delhi, Mamata Banerjee said, "Where is the Human Rights Commission in Tripura? Where did the human rights commission go? The whole country has witnessed the assassination of democracy in Tripura. In such a BJP-ruled state, people are suffocating. Why are there no words about the Human Rights Commission and Article 355 in our case in Tripura. What has happened now?"

She went on to say, "How many letters have been sent to the Tripura government from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. They used to send letters to us regularly. In our state there was an election. So many leaders came here regularly. We didn't stop anyone. Why is this happening in Tripura?"

The chief minister said that she will meet the Prime Minister on Wednesday and she will raise several issues including the atrocities in Tripura. "I shall speak to him on the extension of jurisdiction by the BSF. They are bulldozing the states in the name of cooperative federalism. This cannot continue. I shall speak to the Prime Minister about it".

Meanwhile, a Trinamool delegation held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the recent situation in Tripura. On Monday afternoon, 17 Trinamool MPs held a meeting with Shah for about half an hour. After the meeting, Trinamool MP Souugata Roy said, "The Union Home Minister has promised that there will be no more terrorism in Tripura."

Another MP, Kalyan Banerjee said, "We have submitted a memorandum to the Home Minister. I have also mentioned about Sayani Ghosh who has been illegally arrested."

Kalyan Banerjee quoted the home minister as saying, "I have listened to you and now I shall also listen to the version of the state government and then I shall ask them to take appropriate steps to make the situation normal."