KOLKATA: Taking exception to a BJP 'fact-finding' team's visit to Bogtui village near Rampurhat where nine persons, including seven women and a child, were killed in a massacre on March 21, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee threatened to organise mass agitation if the BJP tries to influence the ongoing investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The BJP team on Wednesday submitted its report to the party's national president J P Nadda.
Mamata reacted by saying such reports intervene in the ongoing probe by the CBI and alleged that the worst carnage during her rule was a conspiracy hatched by the saffron camp.
"I condemn this type of attitude. The investigation must be free and fair. We are cooperating from the first day of the probe initiated by the central agency. One-fourth of the investigation is yet to be completed and at this stage of the probe, interference by the ruling party in the Centre absolutely means misuse and abuse of power. This misuse of power will mislead the investigation and people will lose confidence," she said.
Terming the BJP’s report to Nadda as vindictive, Mamata threatened to launch mass agitations by the Trinamool Congress if the CBI, at the instance of the BJP, makes an effort to bring politics into its investigation. "The massacre was hatched by the BJP. They (the BJP) want our Birbhum district president to get arrested. If the CBI works at the behest of the BJP, we will stage mass agitations," she said.
The BJP’s five-member fact-finding committee comprising of former Uttar Pradesh DGP Brij Lal, former commissioner of Mumbai police Satya Pal Singh and retired IPS officer Bharati Ghosh visited Bogtui village in Birbhum’s Rampurhat and submitted its report to Nadda.
Altogether 23 persons were arrested and among them, TMC’s local block president is one of the accused whose name was dropped by Mamata during her carnage site visit directing police to arrest the party functionary immediately.
Sources in the BJP said the report of the delegation mentioned that the carnage following the murder of a TMC dominated panchayat’s deputy chief was the outcome of state-sponsored extortion, goonda tax, cut money and rivalry among the beneficiaries of the illegal gains. The report also said the Bengal chief minister decided to visit the massacre site only after the BJP’s fact-finding team reached Kolkata.
‘’The team in its report further mentioned that because of Mamata’s visit, the team members were prevented from examining the area where the carnage took place,’’ said a senior BJP leader in Kolkata.
Referring to the report to Nadda, the BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar, who was also part of the fact-finding team, said, ‘’He (Nadda) expressed concern at how such a massacre can take place and how the local people can play an irresponsible role.’’