BJP’s fact-finding panel recommends CBI probe into ‘gross’ human rights violations by Kolkata police & TMC members

The report, submitted by the committee to BJP National President J P Nadda on Sunday in New Delhi, categorically mentioned that there is ‘no rule of law’ in Bengal. The committee said in the report that the police did not act fairly and expressed disgruntlement over the role of three IPS officers.

The committee also claimed that a ‘fair enquiry’ is not possible by the Bengal police and thus a CBI enquiry was recommended. The committee observed that an NHRC team should go to Kolkata and conduct an enquiry on the ‘gross human rights violation’ on the day of the Abhijaan on September 13.

“Fair enquiry is not possible by State Police as they are hand in gloves with their political masters, the ruling TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, who is also the Home Minister. The committee recommends that the entire episode should be enquired into by Central Agency CBI. National Human Rights Commission should also go to Kolkata to conduct an enquiry into gross human rights violations and brutality by Kolkata Police and TMC goons,” the report read.

Rajya Sabha MP and BJP UP Convener Brijlal, Lok Sabha MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Lok Sabha MP Aparajita Sarangi, BJP leader from Punjab Sunil Jakhar and Rajya Sabha MP Samir Oraon were part of the five-member team, which visited Kolkata this week.

The committee also mentioned that 750 were people injured, 550 were arbitrarily arrested and 45 went missing.

The report also pointed out the role of three senior IPS officers-Siddhnath Gupta, Damayanti Sen and. Praveen Kumar Tripathi. “Siddhnath Gupta, Damayanti Sen and. Praveen Kumar Tripathi-the three IPS were publicly seen to have grossly ignored their duties and acted in a partisan manner against BJP karyakartas. Their inaction points at a well-thought-out conspiracy by the state government,” the committee mentioned in its report.

“The Bhartiya Janata Party strongly condemns these acts of abrasive abuse of power by the State machinery,” the report observed.

It also mentioned that “brutal and unparalleled violence was perpetrated by police officers with face covers…”

“In the three locations, the state committed grave human right violations by adopting abrasive methods such as pelting stones, deploying water cannons mixed with hazardous substances, hurled tear gas canisters without prior warning, also used rubber bullets and lathis. This savage use of force was not only sadistic but also violated constitutional and human rights,” the committee elaborated in its report.

The committee pointed out Trinamool National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s statement, who visited an injured police official a day after the Nabanna march, and claimed police showed restraint and had he been there, he would have shot them in their head, if police was attacked. The committee referred to Trinamool’s mindset as ‘fascist’.

The committee said in its report that “Abhishek Banerjee recklessly stated that he would have shot the protestors in their head if he was present at the site, referring to the alleged assault on certain Kolkata police officials. This very statement of the second-in-command of the TMC party reveals the fascist mindset of their Party as well as the fact that the illegal and brutal use of force by the State police on 13th September had the sanction of the political bosses of the TMC.”