NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: BJP chief and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday constituted a three-member panel to investigate the Bhatpara police firing in West Bengal in which two persons were killed on Thursday.
BJP MPs S S Ahluwalia and Satyapal Singh, who were members of an earlier fact-finding team constituted by Shah for Bengal before the LS polls in the backdrop of political violence, are members on the new team along with BD Ram, ex-DGP of Jharkhand.
The state BJP has been accusing the ruling Trinamool government in West Bengal of political violence against party workers.
Shah announced the team even as fresh violence erupted on Friday morning, a day after two persons were shot dead in North 24-Parganas’s Barrackpore LS constituency, with bombs being thrown on thoroughfares. Police carried out overnight raids and arrested 16 people allegedly involved in Thursday’s clashes that continued for over an hour.
CM Mamata Banerjee had Thursday convened an emergency meeting with chief secretary, home secretary and DGP at the state secretariat. She instructed DGP Virendra to visit the area even as she replaced the commissioner of police of Barrackpore commissionerate.
On Friday morning, hundreds of BJP supporters led by local MP Arjun Singh encircled the police commissioner in Barrackpore blaming police for opening fire on people leading to the loss of two lives on Thursday. “The police targetted BJP supporters even as Trinamool brought in criminals from outside to attack our party supporters,” alleged Singh.
BJP leaders in Kolkata demanded a CBI probe into the Bhatpara incident.“The police claimed they had not opened fire; the Trinamool claims it is not involved, while locals witnessed police opening fire which hit the victims. Only the CBI can unravel this mystery,” BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said.
Violence continues
Shah announced the team even as fresh violence erupted on Friday morning, a day after two persons were shot dead in Bhatpara