Bengal: TMC says transgression of state rights on Calcutta High Court CBI probe order, BJP welcomes judgment on Twitter
As political blames and counter blames covers the Calcutta High Court verdict, CBI decides to form 4 teams with 25 to 30 officers.
Kolkata: Soon after Calcutta High Court announced its verdict, the political live wire between BJP and TMC sparked respective disparities and acceptance of order. Thanks to the national hype around Bengal politics, which was created and attained heights during the polls, national media took it as prime time national debate.
Yes, there were several accounts of violent outbursts after the elections, as predicted. The ground for the judgment was on: police not registering cases against the accused.
Unlike the BJP leaders who spoke highly about the Indian Judiciary, TMC leaders tried to draw attention to the alleged transgression of state rights.
CBI Acting On The High Court Order
According to the CBI sources quoted by India Today, the investigative agency has decided to form 4 teams of 25-30 officers. These teams will work under the senior officers of the rank of Joint Directors. They will include a DIG, a senior superintendent of police, and three SPs.
The report also added that Joint Directors of CBI would head the four teams.
TMC Leaders After The High Court Verdict
Trinamool Congress locked horns with the Calcutta High Court after the announcement of the verdict. TMC MP Saugata Roy has expressed his unhappiness to ANI. He said, “I’m unhappy with verdict. If in every law&order matter, which is entirely within State govt’s jurisdiction, the CBI comes in it is a transgression on State’s right. I’m sure state govt will judge the situation&take a decision to appeal to a higher court if necessary,”
On the other hand, MLA Snehasis Chakraborty has said that people will not accept the probe outcomes. As per his statement on a television debate, CBI is influenced by the central government. Chakraborty quoted the ‘Madras High Court Judgement reading to free CBI from the cage.’
BJP is happy with the High Court order
BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari has reaffirmed his faith in the Indian judiciary system and said that the judiciary is the most formidable pillar of democracy. The opposition leader of the state assembly said, “WB rulers made Bengal a laboratory of political violence. Today’s historical judgment by Hon’ble 5 Member Bench of Calcutta High Court indicts them for failing to protect human rights.”
In another tweet, Adhikari said, “Violence has no place in a democracy. Today we stand vindicated by the Hon’ble Calcutta High Court…”
State president of Bengal BJP Dilip Ghosh has said that it is a historical verdict in West Bengal. “We were forced to knock the doors of different commissions, courts after our workers had to flee their houses for their lives,” he said in a video statement. He also tweeted, “..Oppressed people of Bengal will get justice, democracy will be firmly established and the opposition parties will get back their political right…”
Amit Malviya of BJP has highlighted a section of the 123-page judgment in his tweet. His tweet reads, “The voluminous documents formed part of the record reflects the cry of the deprived persons… The Court cannot be a mute spectator nor should be apathetic to the voices of the persons who felt aggrieved but must rise to the occasion and protect rights.”
The Timeline: High Court on 2021 Poll Violence
After the Bengal State Polls, series of petitions were filed before the Calcutta High Court seeking investigations on alleged poll violence. These petitions also sought interventions of a national investigation agency into the matter
-May 4, 2021: After taking the ‘suo moto cognisance’ of the matter, the NHRC had requested the DIG (Investigation) to form a team of officials from the investigation division of the commission. It had further requested the team to conduct a spot fact-finding investigation.
-May 31, 2021: The High Court ordered to form a three-member committee constituting officials from West Bengal Human Rights, National Human Rights Commission or NHRC, and the member secretary of WBSLA (West Bengal Legal Services Authority). This committee had to ensure the safe return of displaced people due to poll violence.
-July 2, 2021: Calcutta High Court observed that during the violent outbreaks after the polls, women and children were sexually exploited. The observations were based on the report submitted by the NHRC. On the other hand, senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi has alleged opposition influence in the commission. He appeared for the DGP of West Bengal Police.
-July 18, 2021: HC directed the commission to form a committee to look into the complaints of allegedly displaced people due to poll violence. On which Justice Arun Mishra had constituted a seven-member committee.
