West Bengal Governor Convenes All-party Meeting Amid Post-Poll Violence

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi has called for an all-party meeting on Thursday as the post-poll violence continues to keep the state on the edge.

A Raj Bhawan spokesperson said the meeting has been convened and will be ‘useful in creating a harmonious situation whereby peace and harmony prevails in the state for the benefit of the citizens.’

Tripathi sent the letter to all four prominent political parties in Bengal — Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), BJP and Congress — urging them to attend the meet at 4 pm at the Raj Bhavan.

Welcoming the move, West Bengal BJP unit president Dilip Ghosh said the state government should have taken the initiative.

"We welcome the decision. We have received Tripathi's letter. We would be attending tomorrow's meeting," he told PTI.

The Trinamool Congress leadership, however, said it was yet to receive any letter.

"Once we receive the letter, we would take a call on it," said a senior TMC leader.

Notably, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has on several occasions accused the Governor of ‘siding’ with the BJP.

Earlier on June 10, Tripathi apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the law-and-order situation in Bengal after the killings at Sandeshkhali in North-24-Paraganas’s Bashirhat area.

The meeting was after held after the Union home ministry had sought a report from the Bengal government on Basirhat violence where eight people were reportedly killed in clashes between the BJP and the TMC workers.

The Centre had on Sunday expressed "deep concern" over continuing violence in West Bengal, and the Union Home Ministry had sent an advisory saying the "unabated violence" even after the Lok Sabha polls appeared to be a failure on part of the state government.

In the advisory, the Ministry of Home Affairs had also asked the state government to maintain law and order, peace and tranquillity.

Unhappy with the advisory, Banerjee stepped up attack on the Centre, saying the violence was a "planted game and the central government and (BJP) party cadre are trying to incite violence in West Bengal".

Post-poll violence has been reported from various places of West Bengal, after the BJP secured 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, just four less than that of the TMC.

(With PTI inputs)