"Unwarranted Statement": Mamata Banerjee To Governor Over Birbhum Violence

Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's comments on the violence in Birbhum district, which claimed eight lives, opened up another front between him and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today. Accusing the Governor of making "unwarranted statements", Ms Banerjee, in a letter, wrote, "Your statements have political overtones supporting other political parties to browbeat the Bengal government".

Mr Dhankhar had strongly condemned the violence, saying human rights have been "decimated" and rule of law has "capsized". In a video message posted on his official Twitter account, he called the incident a "horrifying violence and arson orgy" and said he has sought an urgent update on the incident from the state's Chief Secretary.

"This is indicative of nosediving of law and order in the state," he said, adding that the state can't be allowed to become synonymous with a culture of violence and lawlessness.

The administration is "required to rise above partisan interests" and this was "not being reflected in reality", he added, in a swipe at the state government.

In her letter to the Governor soon after, Mamata Banerjee said his comments were highly unfortunate and unbecoming of a person holding such a dignified constitutional post.

"Your utterances and statements have political overtones which provide support to other political parties to browbeat the government," she wrote, reported news agency Press Trust of India.

Eight people died on Tuesday near Birbhum's Rampurhat town as their house caught fire. The incident took place after the alleged murder of a Trinamool Congress panchayat leader, Bhadu Sheikh, whose body was found on Monday.

Eleven people have been arrested over the violence so far, the state police said, and a special investigation team has been formed to investigate the matter.

Two officers of the local police -- The Sub-Divisional Police Officer and Circle Inspector of Rampurhat -- have been removed.

The matter had ripples in the state assembly, where BJP leaders demanded a statement from the Chief Minister in the house. Twenty-two BJP legislators staged a walkout and party leader Suvendu Adhikari, in a series of tweets, urged the Centre to intervene.

A two-member Trinamool Congress delegation led by state minister Firhad Hakim has left for Rampurhat, Trinamool sources told news agency PTI.