Birbhum violence: TMC leader arrested, Cong demands CBI probe

Birbhim's killings in West Bengal have raised the political temprature high. The BJP and Congress demanding chief minister Mamta Banerjee’s resignation, while the ruling camp accusing the opposition of exploiting the killings. A team of TMC leaders met Union home minister Amit Shah during the day and sought the ouster of governor Jagdeep Dhankhar alleging that he was working against constitutional norms. In the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Saumitra Khan rushed to the Well and shouted slogans against the Trinamool Congress government and sat in the aisle briefly, alleging that Bengal has become a "land of terror".Congress member Gaurav Gogoi also hit out at the state government for not allowing the party's leader in the House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to visit the spot and stopping him nearly 90km away from the spot, saying it is a blow to democracy. Chowdhary alleges that it's a living example of medieval barbarism. There's 'danav raj' instead of 'manav raj' here. The chief minister has destroyed the state. The police, in connivance with the ruling Trinamool Congress, are looting the state. "I've demanded that Section 355 of the Constitution be invoked in the state. We have also demanded a court-monitored CBI probe," Chowdhary said. 

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi aleeged that whatever happened in Birbhum shows that the government is using the Muslims as their foot soldiers. Two groups of the same political party creating violence where several are killed, including children, is condemnable. The state government has failed to control violence in Bengal, Chief minister  Mamata Banerjee on Thursday visited Birbhum district where at least eight people were killed in an arson. She announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the families of the victims  and said the suspects would be hunted down if they did not surrender.  She ordered the police to arrest local Trinamool leader Anarul Shiekh in connection with the killings. He was arrested from Tarapith. The Chief Minister also alleged that "something big" was behind the incident. Ms Banerjee also promised permanent jobs to the affected families and distributed cheques.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said it was taking a suo motu cognisance of the killings and would carry out an investigation in the case. NHRC chief (retired) justice Arun Mishra said investigations would be carried out by a team of the rights body in the district.