The Trinamool Congress will complete the first year of its third term in power in West Bengal in May. But violent incidents have punctuated its political pace, and court directives aimed at fair investigation have brought in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the probe of major incidents.
Besides legal arguments in the court, there are two more fronts that keep the Trinamool’s machinery and the state government engaged in a to-and-fro response cycle. While the Raj Bhavan continues to highlight issues of concern and administrative flaws, the Opposition - majorly the BJP - is keeping the ruling party on its toes once again. Bengal has regained attention of the party's top-hierarchy after the elections to five states.
The Calcutta High Court’s Tuesday directive that the CBI will investigate alleged gang-rape and death of a minor girl in West Bengal’s Hanskhali is an addition to the list of several incidents that have been handed over to the central agency. This is the latest in the series of major incidents the court has directed the CBI to probe.
Following the Trinamool’s victory last year in May, violent incidents were reported. The Calcutta High Court on August 19 handed over the investigation of incidents to the CBI.
The Covid cases and restrictions, festivities, the preparation for municipal elections, and the elections in five states – it seemed that the post-Covid scenario may be more suitable for economic growth. Incidents that occured in the recent past, however, triggered a new pattern of violence.
Student leader Anis Khan was found dead in mysterious circumstances on February 19. It is alleged that four persons, including one claimed to be in police uniform, had visited Anis before his death. The incident triggered numerous protests.
In less than a month’s time, since March 25, CBI has been assigned five investigations. In Bogtui village of Birbhum district, nine people were charred to death after houses were put on fire in retaliation to murder of local Trinamool leader Bhadu Sheikh. The probe went to CBI on March 25. Subsequently, Bhadu Sheikh’s death probe was also handed over to CBI on April 8.
On April 4, the court also ordered CBI probe into the murder of Tapan Kandu, the Congress councillor of Jhalda municipality in Purulia district. Again on April 12, the central agency was directed to probe death of Niranjan Baishnab, an eyewitness to Kundu’s murder and the Hanshkhali gang-rape incident.
The Raj Bhavan and the state aren’t really happily moving together. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has continued to raise questions on administrative decisions on a regular basis, and has publicly expressed his unhappiness on multiple occasions. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee and several senior Trinamool leaders have continued to point out that at times, expressions put out by the Raj Bhavan are beyond the brief for a Governor’s post.
On the political front, the BJP has returned mightier to confront, though it failed to repeat its success of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP members' visits to affected spots, fact-finding committees and tweets by national leaders have brought Bengal in focus again.
The Left, backed by its students’ and youth wings, is back on the streets. The Congress, with a very nominal presence, has taken out processions whenever possible. Besides, activists unhappy with several issues have got back to putting up street corner meetings, unless not permitted by the administration.
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