Mamata rubbishes MHA advisory, oppn parties second it

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday rubbished the claims of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) about "poor" law and order in the state, saying the Centre should send such advisories to states like Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat where "several murders have been reported in the last couple of years".

The MHA sought separate reports from the West Bengal government on the ongoing doctors' strike and on political violence that has left 160 people dead in the past four years.

In an advisory, the MHA told the state government that the continued trend of political violence from 2016 through 2019 is an indicative of the "failure" on the part of the law-enforcement machinery of the state and asked the administration to inspire a sense of security among the people.

While Banerjee dismissed the allegation, opposition parties in the state seconded it and demanded her resignation as home minister.

"We do not have any such situation in West Bengal. It is a very peaceful state. Ask the central government to send advisory to the Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat governments," Banerjee, also the ruling TMC supremo, told reporters.

She said, "In the last three years, after the Yogi Adityanath government came to power in UP, several people were killed in the name of encounter. They do not allow people to lodge FIRs in Gujarat. How many advisories have they sent to these states?"
BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said, "It is really shameful that the law and order situation has compeletely failed in the state. The advisory proves how the law and order situation has worsened in Bengal. Mamata Banerjee should immediately resign as home minister."