Centre receives report from West Bengal Governor on law and order situation in state

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday received a report from Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on the prevailing law and order situation in West Bengal, a day after BJP president J P Nadda’s convoy was attacked in the state, officials said.The state government, however, has not sent any report as sought by the Union home ministry on “serious security lapses” during Nadda’s two-day visit to West Bengal.”The home ministry has received a report from the West Bengal governor on the law and order situation in the state,” an official said.Asked about the contents of the report, the official said that it is under examination.It is learnt that the governor gave a detailed analysis of the prevailing law and order situation in West Bengal and the state government’s response to political violence and other crimes.The report from the governor was sought after Nadda’s convoy was attacked on Thursday in Diamond Harbour, the Lok Sabha constituency of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

On December 6, Dhankhar had alleged that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal is distancing itself from the rule of law and the governance in the state is “getting away” from the path of the Constitution.”I am deeply disturbed, concerned, worried and pained that the governance in West Bengal is getting away from the path of the Constitution. It is distancing itself from rule of law,” he had said.The governor had also tweeted on Sunday: “High time @MamataOfficial to ensure governance in accordance with constitution and render police & administration “politically neutral”. CS & DGP @WBPolice non-responsive stance ignoring lawful accountability, letter & spirit of constitution is fraught with serious consequences”.Union Home Minister Amit Shah had termed the attack on Nadda’s convoy a “sponsored violence”, and alleged that the state has “descended into an era of tyranny and anarchy” under Trinamool’s rule.Nadda’s convoy was pelted with stones when he was travelling to Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district to address a rally there.Cars of several party leaders including that of BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh which were part of the convoy were damaged in the alleged attack.Another official said that the Union home ministry is yet to receive a report from the West Bengal government on the alleged “serious security lapses” during the BJP president’s visit.Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla had also spoken to the West Bengal chief secretary on Thursday on the allegations of BJP’s state unit chief Dilip Ghosh.Ghosh in a letter to Shah had alleged that “during his (Nadda’s) different engagements in Kolkata, it was observed that there were serious lapses on security arrangements, purportedly due to negligence and/or casual approach of the state police department”.He had also alleged that a “mob” of over 200 people with sticks and bamboos were demonstrating raising black flags in front of the BJP’s state unit office in Kolkata.Ghosh claimed that some of the protesters climbed on cars parked outside the party’s office and raised slogans, and the “police did not intervene to stop them and casually allowed them to come within a close perimeter of Nadda ji’s vehicle”.