Birbhum Killings | 'This Is Not UP': Mamata Slams Oppn, Vows Strict Action Against Perpetrators

The killings are suspected to be in retaliation to the murder of Trinamool Congress panchayat leader Bhadu Sheikh the previous day.

Kolkata: Describing the violence in Birbhum district as “unfortunate”, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said it was an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Left and the Congress to malign the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal.

The TMC supremo said that strict action would be taken against the perpetrators of violence in Birbhum district.

“Strict action will be taken against all those responsible for the Birbhum incident, irrespective of their (political) colour,” said Banerjee speaking at a programme here, PTI reported.

“We have already removed the (police) Officer-in-Charge, the SDPO and other senior officers. The DGP is in the district since yesterday,” she added.

Banerjee said that she would visit Bogtui village, where houses were set on fire shortly after a village panchayat deputy chief was murdered, to take stock of the situation on Thursday.

Stating that she had to postpone her visit to the district by a day as she did not want to get into a confrontation with the leaders of opposition political parties camping there, the TMC supremo lashed out at the BJP.

“Let them relish lyangcha' and then get on with their journey to Rampurhat,” she said in an apparent jibe at the BJP.

The Chief Minister said that she would visit Bogtui village, where eight people were charred to death the day before, on Thursday.

“I would have gone there today, but a few political parties are on their way to the place,” said Banerjee.

“It would get late by the time they return. I don't want to visit the place when they (opposition leaders) are around. I don't want to get into any quarrel,” she added.

The TMC chief also claimed that such incidents are results of conspiracy hatched to divert attention from issues of concern.

“You must have noticed that price of gas, petrol and other commodities have been hiked. They are hatching conspiracies to carry out such incidents to divert people's attention,” said Banerjee.

“The BJP has asked media to keep on shouting on this (Birbhum killings),” she added.

Referring to past incidents of violence in other states, Banerjee said: “This is Bengal, not UP. We allowed everyone to visit Birbhum. Not justifying the Birbhum killings, but such incidents are more frequent in UP, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.”