'Even policemen are not secure in West Bengal': Rajnath hits out at Mamata govt

Ashoknagar (WB): Virtually kicking off the BJP’s campaign for the coming assembly poll in West Bengal, Union Home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday attacked the Trinamool Congress government on the issue of law and order saying that women, and even policemen are not secure. Holding business summits will not be able to bring in investments in the state unless the TMC government improves law and order and ensures good governance, he said. “Despite TMC’s slogan for ushering in change, ‘Ma-mati-manush’ (mother, earth and people) and even the police are not secure in West Bengal. The TMC government has not been able to bring in any change in Bengal,” Singh told a rally at Ashoknagar in North 24 Parganas district. [caption id=“attachment_2593730” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Rajnath Singh. File photo. PTI[/caption] Mentioning the violence in Malda, he refuted Chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement that it was a result of tussle between BSF officials and locals. “The incident in Malda is not a small incident. I want to tell the TMC government that the Malda case should be solved. Whoever may be involved in the incident should be arrested. Only a few arrests can’t solve the case,” he said. “It is being said that the (Malda) violence was a result of tussle between BSF and locals. But it is not true. Are they trying to safeguard those forces which attacked the BSF official? Will those who attacked the BSF roam free? This is the same BSF which had given a befitting reply to Pakistani forces on the Indo-Pak border,” Singh said. “Did the government have no information about the rally and how many people will gather there? Was it not the government’s responsibility to arrange for security there?” If senior police officials had been present on the spot the situation could have been averted. “Let me assure you, whoever is behind the Malda incident will not be spared. They will be arrested and booked,” Singh said. The Home minister wondered how miscreants have the courage to attack police stations and beat up policemen in Bengal. “Is this the kind of government that the people of West Bengal wanted?” PTI