Murshidabad violence: Empower Union government, set up inquiry panel, suggests Bengal Governor
West Bengal Governor
CV Ananda Bose has submitted a special report to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the recent communal riots in Murshidabad district, and has recommended the formulation of "an overarching legislation to empower the Union government to maintain law and order when the state machinery fails to act effectively".
#Pahalgam Terrorist Attack
India much better equipped to target cross-border terror since Balakot
India conducts maiden flight-trials of stratospheric airship platform
Pakistan shuts ports for Indian ships after New Delhi bans imports from Islamabad
He has also suggested the "appointment of a Commission of Inquiry under The Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 to look into the reported acts of omission and commission and to suggest measures to prevent such incidents in future". He also suggested "reinstating/setting up Central Forces Outposts/BSF outposts in the vulnerable districts along the international border". Murshidabad district's Suti and Samserganj witnessed large-scale communal violence in which three persons died in the first week of April. The governor had visited Murshidabad's violence-affected areas and Malda district where displaced people had taken refuge, following the violence.
At the end of the report, in the last line, the Governor adds (but not as recommendations), "Needless to add, provisions under
Article 356
of the Constitution also remain."
The report noted that despite the state government's success in dealing with the "organised ultra-Left militancy", the state "continues to flounder while dealing with communal conflagrations and ordinary and routine law and order situations, especially issues such as rape and campus violence". He pointed towards 'demographic manipulation', which is an issue which needs to be addressed, and the "twin spectre of radicalisation and militancy" posing serious challenge for the state in both Murshidabad and Malda".
Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said, "...It's against BJP's policy to remove an elected government using Article 356; we never did this; it's a tool of Congress. But such criminalisation of things here is not good, and we need something to prevent this. I think that in 2026, the people will remove Mamata Banerjee from power..."
Live Events
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis slams Rahul Gandhi's match fixing jibe in state polls
Maharashtra Congress in-charge and Kerala congress MLA Ramesh Chennithala said when he assumed charge of Maharashtra in early 2024, the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi defied the Modi wave in the Lok Sabha elections. He said, the people of Maharashtra stood tall against propaganda and pressure, delivering a decisive verdict that sent the BJP alliance reeling. 'BJP's loss in Maharashtra, along with its poor performance in Uttar Pradesh, was pivotal in preventing it from securing an absolute majority at the national level. And yet, merely six months later, in the Maharashtra state assembly elections, that same Maha Vikas Aghadi — which was poised to win over 170 seats — was reduced to just 50. Is it believable that this staggering turnaround was due to governance or public sentiment? Even the most loyal BJP supporter would hesitate to make such a claim. If Prime Minister Modi himself could not sway Maharashtra, are we to believe that Eknath Shinde, whose politics is marred by betrayal and unprincipled opportunism, could command such a wave,' Congress leader asked. He further said this was not a coincidence. 'It was a calculated and premeditated operation to distort the electoral mandate. Democracy in Maharashtra was not defeated — it was subverted. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra had 89.8 million registered voters. By the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, this number rose naturally to 92.9 million — a five-year increase of 3.1 million. However, within just five months, during the 2024 Assembly elections, the voter count inexplicably jumped to 97 million — a sudden spike of 4.1 million in less than half a year. This figure defies logic. Even the official estimate of the adult population in Maharashtra stands at 95.4 million. On polling day, the initial turnout reported was 58.22%. With no reports of long queues or late-night voting, it should have remained roughly constant. Instead, by the next morning, the turnout had miraculously jumped to 66.05% — an overnight addition of over 7.6 million votes, predominantly favouring BJP candidates,' Chennithala added. The Congress leader further went on to say that Rahul Gandhi exposed how Maharashtra, once a proud torchbearer of democratic values has become a cautionary tale of how institutions can be compromised, how power can be snatched instead of earned, and how silence can become complicity. This is no longer about one state or one election. It is about the soul of our democracy. We urge the Election Commission to break its silence. The people of Maharashtra — and of India — deserve answers.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Pakistan army chief Asim Munir visits forward positions along LoC
Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir on Saturday visited the forward positions along the Line of Control (LoC) and interacted with the troops. During the interaction, Gen Munir lauded troops' high morale, operational preparedness, and vigilance, the army said in a statement. He was visiting the army's forward positions along the LoC to celebrate Eid ul-Azha with troops, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, said in the statement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like (COUNTRY): The cost of solar panels that changes the price Solar Panels | Search Ads Search Now Undo Gen Munir told soldiers and officers on the frontline that celebrating the Eid away from loved ones, reflected their profound commitment to national service, the statement said. Munir also claimed that Pakistan gave a "befitting response" to India to avenge the loss of lives in the recent flare up. Live Events Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack - that left 26 dead - with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. The on-ground hostilities from Indian and Pakistan sides that lasted for four days ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10. Munir also reaffirmed Pakistan's principled stance on the Kashmir issue and vowed to continue support for the Kashmiri people. New Delhi has maintained that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. PTI
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
41 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Preventive detention is an extraordinary power, use it sparingly: SC
Preventive detention is an extraordinary power in the hands of the state that must be used sparingly, said the Supreme Court as it set aside an order to detain a man indulging in money lending in Kerala. A bench of justices Sanjay Karol and Manmohan said the circumstances pointed out in the order by the detaining authority may be ground enough for the state to approach the competent courts for cancellation of bail in cases against him, but it cannot be said that the same warranted his preventive detention. "Therefore, the order of detention dated June 20, 2024, and the impugned judgment dated September 4, 2024, passed by the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam are hereby set aside. In the attending facts and circumstances of this case, the appeal is allowed," the bench said in its order passed on Friday. Noting that the power of preventive detention finds recognition in the Constitution under Article 22(3)(b), the bench said, "The provision for preventive detention is an extraordinary power in the hands of the state that must be used sparingly. It curtails the liberty of an individual in anticipation of the commission of further offence(s), and therefore, must not be used in the ordinary course of nature." The bench said the contention of the detaining authority that the detainee, Rajesh, who used to run a private financing company called 'Rithika Finance', was violating the conditions of bail imposed upon him in the cases that have been considered for passing the order of detention. It said that pertinently, no application has been filed by the respondent in any of the four cases, alleging violation of such conditions, if any, and moreover, have not even been spelt out during the hearing of the case filed by his wife against the Kerala High Court order, which affirmed the preventive detention order of the Palakkad district magistrate. "Keeping in view the above expositions of law, we have no doubt that the order of detention cannot be sustained. The circumstances pointed out in the order by the detaining authority may be ground enough for the state to approach the competent courts for cancellation of bail, but it cannot be said that the same warranted his preventive detention. "We clarify that if such an application for cancellation of the detainee's bail is made by the respondent - state, the same must be decided uninfluenced by the observations made hereinabove," the bench noted. It referred to the provisions of the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 2007, and said that the object of the statute was to provide for effective prevention of certain anti-social activities in the state. The bench said Section 2(j) of the state law defines 'goonda' as a person who indulges in activities that are harmful to the maintenance of public order, either directly or indirectly, and includes persons who are bootleggers, counterfeiters, drug offenders, and loan sharks, among others. The bench also said that under Section 3 of the Act, the district magistrate so authorised or the government may pass an order directing detention of a "known goonda" to prevent commission of antisocial activities within the state of Kerala. "Coming to the attending facts and circumstances, we are of the considered view that the exercise of power under Section 3 of the Act was not justified in law," the top court said, as it noted four cases lodged under the Kerala Money Lenders Act, 1958, cited by the police for recommending preventive detention to the district magistrate. The police stated that the detainee was a "notorious goonda" in the district and a threat to the society at large. Aggrieved by the order of his detention dated June 20, 2024, Rajesh's wife filed a writ petition before the Kerala High Court assailing the order and praying for a writ of habeas corpus to the state against the "illegal" detention of her husband. The high court on September 4 last year affirmed the order of preventive detention. Aggrieved by the order, the detainee's wife moved the top court challenging the decision. On December 10, 2024, the top court ordered the detainee to be released as his maximum period of detention under the Act was over.
