Even TMC MLAs not safe in Bengal, say CPI(M), Cong on law and

The Opposition CPI(M) and Congress members on Wednesday took on the ruling Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal Assembly claiming that law and order situation in the state was a matter of concern with even ruling party MLAs being subjected to murderous assaults.

Vehemently objecting to the insinuations, ruling TMC members claimed that the law and order situation in West Bengal was better than many other states.

Participating in the discussion on the governor's address in the House, CPI(M) MLA Amjad Hossain said while TMC MLA Satyajit Biswas from Krishnaganj in Nadia district was murdered, another member representing Joynagar survived an attack that killed three persons.

Hossain said that the murderous attacks on ruling party MLAs spoke volumes about the law and order situation in the state, as the general public were much more vulnerable.

TMC MLA Silbhadra Dutta said that the situation was much better than it was during the Left Front rule, when he claimed that opposition parties were not allowed to participate in elections through intimidation and violence.

Dutta also said that the opposition claim that the TMC was playing the religious card by giving stipends to Imams and Moazzems of mosques was baseless.

He said that the Wakf Board pays the stipends and that priests were also paid similar compensations by temple boards and that the state government has nothing to do with such payments.

Claiming that law and order in the state was in bad shape, CPI(M)'s Manas Mukherjee said that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report suggests that West Bengal is not in a happy situation.

Congress' Mainul Haque claimed that not a single day passes without political or apolitical violence in the state.

TMC MLAs Pradyut Ghosh and Shyamal Mondal claimed that law and order situation was much better in the state under the Mamata Banerjee government and rule of law prevailed.