NEW DELHI: Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has written to President Ram Nath Kovind, urging him to invoke Article 355 in West Bengal to ensure that the government is run in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
Citing post-poll violence and Tuesday’s incident in Birbhum district in which eight people were burnt to death, Chowdhury, in his letter to the President on Wednesday, alleged that the law and order has completely broken down in the state.
“I wish to bring to your kind notice the deteriorating law and order situation in West Bengal. On Monday, March 21, 2022 there was a violence fight between two groups of the ruling party in Bogtui Village in Birbhum district. The Deputy Pradhan Bhadu Sheikh was killed and in retaliation houses in the area were attacked and set on fire resulting in 12 deaths including that of women and children,” the Congress MP wrote.
He also highlighted that all the victims belong to the minority community.
“The law and order situation in West Bengal has broken down. It is very sad to note that during last month itself, there were 26 political murders in West Bengal,” he said.
Chowdhury, also the president of the state Congress unit, said that the post-poll violence has claimed many lives.
“The whole state is in the grief of fear and violence. I raised this serious matter in Parliament on March 22, in order to draw the attention of the nation and regarding the breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state,” he said.
“In view of the deteriorating law and order situation in West Bengal, I request you to evoke article 355 of the Constitution to ensure that the government of west Bngal is carried on in accordance with the provision of the Constitution,” Chowdhury added.
Article 355 of the Constitution says that “It shall be the duty of the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance and to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the incident and demanded an investigation into the incident by central agencies.