Birbhum violence: Ready to protest if CBI follows BJP’s direction, says Mamata Banerjee

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday (March 27) claimed there is a conspiracy behind the Birbhum violence and demanded an impartial probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the incident. 

Addressing an event, Banerjee said, "We (TMC) were not involved in the Rampurhat incident. A Trinamool worker was murdered by another party worker. But the media only criticized TMC. We took several steps to find out the original cause of the incident."

On Tuesday, eight people were killed in the Rampurhat area of West Bengal's Birbhum after a mob allegedly set houses on fire following the killing of TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh. Sheikh, also a local deputy president of Rampurhat village, was killed on March 21 by bike-borne assailants. 

The Calcutta High Court on Friday had ordered an independent CBI investigation in the Birbhum violence and directed the central agency to submit a report by April 7. 

The West Bengal CM said today that the CBI should not follow BJP`s direction in the ongoing investigation.

"I still think that there is a conspiracy behind the Rampurhut incident. It`s good that CBI took charge but if they only follow BJP`s direction, we are ready to protest," ANI quoted Banerjee as saying. The TMC chief further said that she never politicised the death of people when she was in the opposition.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of sheltering the accused to cover up the incident, a charge TMC has denied.

Banerjee also hit out at the Central government over rising fuel prices and said "after winning the Uttar Pradesh elections, the (Narendra) Modi government has given a return gift by increasing prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas." 

Meanwhile, the CBI has named 21 people, including Trinamool Congress' block president Anarul Hossain, as accused in connection with the Birbhum violence. 

(With agency inputs)

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