Mamata Banerjee Blatantly Defends the Culprit

DURGAPUR: WITHIN 24 hours of Kolkata High Court's decision to form a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to investigate the murder case in Parui of Birbhum, Mamata Banerjee publicly stood beside Anubrata Mondal, the prime accused. Anubrata is the president of TMC Birbhum district. Mamata Banerjee praised Anubrata for all his 'good works' in the meeting of the TMC workers in Durgapur on February 15, 2014.

Calling Anubrata by his nickname 'Kesto', Mamata Banerjee said that he is an efficient organiser, and some people are after him, but she would defend him to the end, she emphatically added.

The 'good works' and efficiency of Anubrata Mondal have been openly exhibited in the recent past. And the chief minister has legitimised all those anti-social activities. Moreover the high level committee of the state government which categories security measures has recommended security measures with 'Z' category for Anubrata Mondal during early June of 2013 so that he can continue his rampage on the opposition parties more peacefully. During the panchayat polls in July 2013, Anubrata publicly incited TMC supporters to burn down the houses of independent candidates and hurl bombs at the police if they dared interfere. Mamata defended him in the assembly saying that Anubrata had no intention of saying that. In November, Anubrata threatened to chop off the hands of Congress supporters. Just a few days later, Mamata shared the dais with him and never showed her disagreement. A few days ago, Anubrata dared to threaten a journalist to kill him by motorbike accident in front of several television cameras. Besides all these, Anubrata is the key person to run a terror brigade in Birbhum and he openly said during the panchayat polls in July 2013 that the opposition would not be allowed to file nomination.

Anubrata Mondal is the prime accused in the murder of Sagar Ghosh, father of independent candidate Hriday Ghosh. Sagar was shot dead in Parui on the eve of panchayat polls, only a few days after Anubrata's provocative speech. The victim’s family accused Mondal of the murder and went to the court of law when the police administration did not heed their complaint.

Significantly the CM publicly supported Anubrata only a day after the High Court expressed displeasure over the investigation of Parui murder case. The High Court has also strongly criticised the CID probe and ordered a Special Investigating Team to be set up under the DGP. The High Court also firmly told the state government to stay out of the investigation process. The statement of the CM supporting Anubrata, therefore, is a blatant attempt to influence the investigation process and amounts to contempt of the court.

The chief minister even defended this infamous party leader in the state assembly , saying that she had the independence of speech.

Biman Basu, secretary of CPI(M) West Bengal state committee and chairman of the West Bengal Left Front committee, said that Anubrata has become famous not only in Birbhum but in the whole country for his speech and comments; but those certainly are not the language of any politician.

By legitimising such hooliganism, Mamata Banerjee made it pretty clear that the policy of her party is not only to promote thugs but simultaneously use the administration to protect such hooligans to vitiate the democratic space completely.