Kolkata, Dec 2 (IANS) A day after two people were killed in police firing in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday said the officials made a mistake and the guilty will be given exemplary punishment.
She also announced Rs.2 lakh compensation for the families of the dead.
‘I strongly condemn the unfortunate incident. The police along with the electricity officials could not handle the situation properly. Some of the policemen are ill-trained. The electricity officials too should have shown some restraint,’ Banerjee said.
‘A high-level probe is on and whoever is found guilty will be given exemplary punishment. No matter how much they are under attack the police should refrain from firing at the people. They have made a mistake by firing at people,’ she added.
The chief minister also accused the opposition of stoking communal disharmony among the people to gain political mileage.
‘The scuffle between the police and the people was a result of the efforts of goons backed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). With Muharram approaching, they want to create communal hatred among the people and anarchy in the state, she added.
Two people were Thursday killed and 22 people, including 16 policemen, injured as clashes between a mob and security forces over illegal electric connections in Magrahat in South 24 Parganas district led to police opening fire.
Though Banerjee said three constables have been ‘booked for the incident’, South 24 Parganas police superintendent L.N. Meena denied the arrest or booking of any official.
‘We have not arrested any one. Investigation is on,’ Meena told IANS.
Meanwhile, respective teams of Trinamool Congress and the CPI-M leaders visited Magrahat to take stock of the situation.
The CPI-M’s Abdur Rezzak Mollah said: ‘They are blaming us for the incident. But I ask when we are neither in the government nor at panchayat or block level, then how can we do so. It is they (Trinamool Congress) who are the culprits.’
Trinamool Congress general secretary and junior union minister Mukul Roy assured the people of a high-level probe and severe punishment for the guilty.
