Mamata Banerjee Tears Into Fact-Finding Team Probing Ram Navami Violence

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tore into a fact-finding team whose conclusions about the recent violence during Ram Navami processions in Shibpur and Rishra in West Bengal seemed to match with the BJP's charges against her government.

Speaking to reporters after an event where she flagged off 30 advanced life support ambulances, the Chief Minister said, "You tell me whether it is a fact-finding committee authorised by the Supreme Court or High Court. Or is it from the government, or is it from the party? If it has been authenticated by the party, it is of no value. It is valueless, baseless, caseless, and faceless. A non-issue has become their religious issue. But it is not a religious matter, it is criminal violence and not communal violence. Not a single person died. Not a single injured. The incident happened because of the BJP."

She questioned why would people in a religious procession carry arms, dance with a gun, and bring bulldozers.

"With whose permission? All of this is illegal. They danced like mad people. They have been brought from Munger (Bihar). They are outsiders. They are not from here. Our people here all live together. They don't indulge in riots. Harmony is our culture," Ms Banerjee added.

Explaining the police action during the violence, she said people indulging in it were carrying a lot of weapons, which could have led to deaths during firing if the police had immediately stopped a group that was attacking another. Rejecting allegations of suspicious motive, she said the police tactfully waited for an hour, after which the two groups -- Hindus and Muslims -- settled the matter by cooperating.

"The area is now calm. Who has come to disturb the peace? The fact-finding team," she fumed.

A fact-finding team of civil society members consisting of Justice L Narsimha Reddy (Former Chief Justice of Patna High Court), Raj Pal Singh (Former IPS officer from the Haryana Cadre), Dr Charu Wali Khanna (Advocate and former member of the National Commission for Women), OP Vyas (Advocate and former Registrar of the NHRC), senior journalist Sanjeev Nayak, and Advocate Bhavna Bajaj. The team was stopped by the police from visiting the places affected by the violence, as prohibitory orders were still in place in the areas.

Justice L Narsimha Reddy (retired) had earlier held a press conference in the day, saying, "For three days, we have been trying to find out the present condition and whether people have the confidence or not. That's why we were trying to go there. The police were very strict with us and did not allow us to move an inch towards the place. Police were active in organising these riots, and it could not have happened without their help."

The team met the centre-appointed West Bengal Governor at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata on Monday evening. Reacting to the Chief Minister's criticism, Justice Reddy told reporters, "As a human being, anyone can go there. If there is nothing to hide, why are you scared?"

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court heard a plea by the BJP demanding an NIA probe into the violence in Howrah and Hooghly districts.