Mamata targeting Governor to hide law and order failures: Dilip Ghosh

Santosh Kumar Pathak

New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) BJP Vice President and Lok Sabha MP from West Bengal's Medinipur, Dilip Ghosh has slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her failure to curb violence in the state, and claimed that she is targeting Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to hide her failure.

In an interaction with IANS, Ghosh also raised questions on the recent Birbhum killings and hit out at the ruling Trinamool Congress over the harrowing incident.

Here are some excerpts

Q. You (BJP MPs) met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday on the issue of Birbhum violence and demanded intervention. Trinamool Congress MPs also met the Home Minister and demanded the removal of Governor Dhankar. What do you have to say?

A. The Governor has become a thorn in the flesh for the Trinamool because he asks questions. Whenever this type of incident (Birbhum violence) happens, he directly asks questions to the administration. This time also, the Governor asked where is the law and order? If a Trinamool Congress leader was killed, why police forces were not deployed immediately? In reaction to that killing, 12 people including children and women were burnt to death. Chief Minister Banerjee is asking the same question which we have been asking. She asked the police to arrest the leader of her party. Will this happen only when the Chief Minister intervenes? Is this law and order? The Governor also raised the same question, so Trinamool is angry with him. The truth is that when these people fail, they target the Governor.

Q. But after meeting the Home Minister, Trinamool leader Sudip Bandopadhyay claimed that he informed him about the action taken by the state government on Birbhum violence and the Home Minister was satisfied with the answer.

A. How did Sudip Bandopadhyay know that Amit Shah ji is satisfied. If he is satisfied, then why is he sending a team to West Bengal. Amit Shah ji knows Bengal for the last 7-8 years. He is aware of the law and order situation there, has sent advisories several times, but the Mamata government did not budge and she is now on a mission to remove the Governor.

Q. The BJP is seeking the intervention of the Central government. What kind of intervention do you want?

A. The Central government will have to take a decision as per the Constitution. Not even a year has passed since the new government was elected with a full majority. But that government has failed, law and order has collapsed. There is no security for people. Four days back, one of our MPs was attacked. Two days before that, our district president was attacked. In the last one week, 26 people have been killed in the state. Violence of all kinds -- political, non-political and social, is increasing continuously in the state. The Mamata Banerjee government is responsible for this. Therefore, we demand that for the safety of the people of West Bengal, the Central government should take whatever steps it deems fit as per the Constitution to improve the law and order situation in the state.