BJP delegation claims West Bengal government, Mamata Banerjee took 'no initiative' to control Ram Navami clashes

Kolkata: Following a visit to the violence-hit areas of Raniganj and Asansol , a BJP delegation on Sunday accused the West Bengal government of lack of initiative in handling the unrest and demanded strict action against the culprits. The BJP also strongly criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for going to Delhi at a time when parts of Bengal were facing communal tension. [caption id=“attachment_4414443” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  BJP delegation team members Rupa Ganguli, Shahnwaz Hussain and Om Prakash Mathur during their visit violence-hit area of Asansol in West Bengal. PTI[/caption] “Almost seven days have passed since the violence but there have been no initiatives either from the state or the ruling party to help out the victims. They also showed complete lack of will in handling the unrest,” BJP vice-president Om Mathur, who led the four-member party committee to the affected areas, told reporters in Kolkata. “When such a big incident happened in Bengal, the chief minister is sitting in Delhi for five-six days, looking for political benefits. The BJP strongly condemns this and demands immediate and strict action against those involved in the violence,” he said. Mathur said there should not be one-sided action against a specific community. “The actions of the government should not be one-sided. I have heard that people from a certain community are being charged under the Indian Penal Code and harassed. Surely, the people of Bengal will give the Trinamool Congress the punishment it deserves at the right moment,” Mathur claimed. He urged the state government to start a relief fund for the affected, compensate for losses and provide proper shelter to those who lost their homes in the violence. Echoing Mathur, BJP’s spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain claimed the Mamata Banerjee government is causing pain to the people of Bengal while the BJP is “giving them the remedy”. “When Bengal is burning with communal tension and police is playing the role of a spectator, instead of helping the state’s people she is holding a meeting with leaders in Delhi. Instead of leading Bengal, she is dreaming about leading Delhi. People of Bengal will not forgive her for this,” he added. Defying prohibitory orders, the four-member BJP team visited parts of Asansol in West Bardhaman district that witnessed large-scale violence and arson during a Ram Navami procession about a week ago. A person was allegedly hacked to death while a deputy commissioner of police lost a hand after being hit by a bomb during a clash. Several houses and shops were also vandalised. The committee said it would prepare a report based on ground-level feedback and send it to the party leadership for scrutiny.