Bengal Governor calls all-party meet to tackle violence

Kolkata: Concerned over the rise in post-poll violence in West Bengal, Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi has intervened and called leaders of four parties: Trinamul Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and CPI(M) for a meeting on Thursday afternoon for restoring peace even as he continues to be in the eye of the ruling party’s storm with chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee underlining the Governor’s job.

Mr Tripathi’s move came close on the heels of his visit to New Delhi where he had appraised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah of the grim situation in the state in wake of the bloodshed which reportedly claimed six lives during a violent clash between the Trinamul and BJP workers at Sandeshkhali in Basirhat of North 24 Parganas last week.

This is perhaps the first time a Governor has been forced to chair a meeting with the political parties to stop violence under the Trinamul rule in the state.

On Wednesday, press secretary to the Governor, Manab Bandyopadhyay stated, “In the context of reported incidents of post-poll violence in the state, Keshari Nath Tripathi has convened a meeting of four major political parties in West Bengal which will be useful in creating a harmonious situation whereby peace and harmony prevails in the State for the benefit of the citizens.”

He informed that Trinamul secetary general Partha Chatterjee, state BJP president and MP Dilip Ghosh, CPI(M) state secretary Surjyakanta Mishra and state Congress president Somen Mitra have been invited to the meeting at 4 pm in Raj Bhavan.

Mr Banerjee later said, “The Governor has called a meeting. It is his prerogative. Our party’s representative will attend it.” Mr Ghosh informed that a two-member BJP delegation would attend the meeting on his behalf.

On Mr Tripathi’s meeting with Mr Modi and Mr Shah amidst a speculation of the President’s Rule in the state Mr Banerjee added, “I respect the post of Governor. It is a constitutional post. We have utmost respect and honour for that post. We always think that a person representing that post should be absolutely apolitical and unbiased.”

He noted, “We should respect it that way. We want that because Governor is someone who should be representing the people of the state to the concerned authorities at the Centre. I would appreciate if he could have been taking it that way.”  He asked, “Where is the President’s rule more essential? Why isn’t it necessary there? People of Bengal have not bowed to them (BJP). They have neither accepted their slavery nor surrendered themselves. Bengal has also never accepted the politics of capture by force.”