The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday sought a detailed and factual report "as early as possible" from the West Bengal government after eight persons were found burnt to death in Rampurhat in Birbhum district, according to officials.
Officials added that the home ministry has asked the Bengal government to maintain law and order and ensure security of common people in view of the killings.
Sources told PTI that a fact-finding central team may be sent to the state soon to assess the situation, but there was no official confirmation about it yet.
The home ministry's action has come after a nine-member delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party MPs from West Bengal met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought his intervention and action against the perpetrators of the crime. This delegation alleged in a memorandum to the home minister that the post-poll violence in West Bengal has been continuing unabated and the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated.
Advertisement
In the early hours of Tuesday, eight persons including two children died after their houses caught fire at Rampurhat in Birbhum district, according to police.
The incident took place around an hour after the alleged murder of a Trinamool Congress leader on Monday, West Bengal DGP Manoj Malaviya told reporters in Kolkata. He added that seven charred bodies were recovered from one of the burnt houses, while one injured person died in hospital.
BJP MLA and West Bengal's Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said these fires were retribution for the killing of Trinamool Congress's Bhadu Sheikh, who was the panchayat deputy chief of Barshal village.
Advertisement
Adhikari also alleged that 12 persons had died, not eight as the police had disclosed. He said, "Administrative cover-up has already begun with attempts being made to lower the body count."
The body of Sheikh was found in the area on Monday, according to police.
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar called the incident "horrifying violence and arson orgy". He has sought an update from the state's chief secretary.
The BJP MPs' delegation claimed that 10 people were burnt to death following the killing of the Panchayat Up-Pradhan (deputy head) in the area and urged Shah to take a strong note of the fact that the panchayat leader was killed in a bomb attack.
They said, "The increasing use of explosives and firearms points towards terrorists being actively used by the TMC to settle political scores and to spread terror among the common citizens. We cannot allow the lives of our citizens to be put at risk under increasing political terrorism in the state any more. We will remain grateful for your timely intervention, and strictest of actions against the perpetrators."
Referring to political violence in recent days, MPs alleged that over 50 BJP supporters were killed by “TMC goons” in the state after the 2021 assembly polls. They claimed that there was an attempt to kill BJP MP from Ranaghat constituency Jagannath Sarkar on March 19.
Advertisement
Earlier this month, two elected councillors of TMC and Congress were shot dead in separate incidents in Panihati and Jhalda areas of the state. The Congress party had blamed TMC for their councillor's death.
With PTI inputs
