Basirhat violence: MHA refutes Mamata's 'uncooperative Centre' remarks

Hours after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Central Government of non-cooperation towards quelling unrest in North Parganas' Basirhat district in the state, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sources said that at least four companies of the Border Security Forces (BSF) forces that were deployed by the Centre were turned back by the West Bengal Government.

According to the sources, the Centre had already sent 11 companies of personnel to Darjeeling to quell the unrest taken out by people demanding a separate Gorkhaland.

Hours before, Mamata accused Centre of creating tension in the state. She alleged that there was non-cooperation from the Centre to curb violence in the state.

Mamata further said that that the forces were not deployed on time, which further flared up violence around the West Bengal border.

The MHA sources further claimed that the state government has also not sent the sought detailed report on the Basirhat incident and this is causing a delay to convene a review security meeting.

The MHA already has huge commitments and has deployed forces in Jammu and Kashmir for the Amarnath yatra to circumvent terrorist attacks, tackle stone pelting, and also in the North-Eastern border of the country, the sources added.

In the press conference, Mamata asserted that they would conduct a judicial inquirty to probe the Basirhat incident.

"Action will be taken for spreading fake pictures and videos. The law will take its own course," she said.

Meanwhile, the North 24 Parganas Superintendent of Police (SP) Bhaskar Mukherjee has been removed and C. Sudharkar Rao will take over the post.

Violent clashes erupted in the Basirhat area of the district after a Class X student updated a controversial picture on Facebook.

The boy was later detained by police, but the violence hasn't abated.

Fresh tension was reported in Basirhat area days after too forcing the police to lob tear gas shells and resort to baton charge even as the state government decided to ban some organisations for allegedly instigating people.