What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: Many people from West Bengal, who allegedly lost their family members in post-poll violence in the state last year, took out a candlelight march from Patiala House court o India Gate on Friday, demanding justice & the president’s rule in the state.
The demonstrators lamented that they don’t feel safe anymore in West Bengal under the rule of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“We don’t feel safe anymore in West Bengal that is why we have come here to demand justice from President Ram Nath Kovind. We don’t know whether we will be alive or dead after going back,” one of the demonstrators said.
About 40 victim families on Friday evening took out the march under the banner of Lawyers For Justice.
Holding a photograph of his brother who allegedly was killed in the violence unleashed allegedly by the workers of ruling Trinamool Congress, Biswajit Sarkar, a resident of Belaghata assembly seat said his brother was murdered in front of their mother on May 2 last year.
“The government was involved in the killing of my brother. It was done on the instructions of Mamata Banerjee,” alleged Sarkar.
“She (CM Banerjee) had given the slogan of Khela Hobe, and this is what was done to us. My brother was killed in front of our eyes,” he told The New Indian, alleging that the administration refused to even register their complaint.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the violence following an order by the Calcutta High Court. The agency had registered multiple cases in last few months and made several arrests.
A delegation of demonstrators met President Kovind who assured them to look into the matter, they said.
Setu Sarkar, a resident of Birbhum, who also lost his brother in the violence, said, “After the announcement of assembly election results on May 2, over 30-35 supporters of the TMC attacked our homes and destroyed everything.”
They attacked my brother, Gaurav Sarkar, with sticks, axes and other sharp objects and killed him, he alleged. “I was also beaten up and was admitted to a hospital for over 10 days. Police didn’t do anything,” he rued and demanded the president’s rule in the state.
Sangeeta Yadav, who lost her husband in the violence, travelled to Delhi with her seven-year-old daughter and had a similar tale to share. “The murder of my husband has devastated the family. Now we have to struggle to earn our livelihood,” she said with a welled up eyes.
“My husband was a BJP worker. He was killed almost a month after the election results were declared. I was not at home, my mother in law and my son was there. My family has gone through a lot of atrocities. We want Justice. We want Justice from President of India,” she demanded.
Similar is the story of Priyansh Yadav, whose brother-in-law Jai Prakash Yadav was killed allegedly by “TMC goons”. “On June 6, 2021, a TMC worker called my brother-in-law outside his home, abused him and they hurled a bomb onto him resulting into his death on the spot,” he alleged.
“We are not safe, all family members still feel unsafe and we all live in a reign of fear,” he added.
Murari Tiwari, a member of Delhi Bar Association, demanded restoration of rule of law in West Bengal.
“What we are observing that the people, who are not in the favour of existing government are suffering a lot, they are being beaten up and killed. The simple message is that the government should realize that the entire lawyers are united and they will not allow any government to do this,” Tiwari added.
