West Bengal govt stands 'admonished and shamed' by high court: BJP

The BJP on Monday hailed the Calcutta High Court's dismissal of the West Bengal government's plea for recalling its direction to the NHRC to examine alleged human rights violations in post-poll violence in the state, and said the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led dispensation stands ''admonished and shamed'' by the court.

Union Minister Smriti Irani slammed Banerjee over her claim that the BJP's charge of violence under her government was a ''gimmick'', and cited incidents of alleged rape of a woman in front of her grandson and killing of the saffron party's workers to question if these were all a ''gimmick''.

Speaking to PTI, Irani said, ''A conscientious chief minister would have applied herself to ensuring justice. But I have always said that political torture, murder and rape are political weapons of the TMC (Trinamool Congress) and the post-poll violence being witnessed in Bengal reaffirms my position against her.'' Irani also rejected the state's ruling TMC's criticism of Governor Jagdeep Dhankar that he was acting at the behest of the BJP, saying he cannot be a ''muter spectator'' to ''countless rapes'', murders and citizens fleeing their homes to escape violence.

Banerjee's position is be tortured, be raped but do not speak, she alleged. ''My question is to woman (Banerjee) who took political office by stating that she will ensure prosperity and security for the people of Bengal. She presided over violence against dalits, adivasis and those who chose to exercise their democratic rights. And today, rightly so, the government of West Bengal stands admonished and shamed by the high court,'' the senior BJP leader said.

A five-judge bench of the high court dismissed the prayer of the state government for recalling its order, which was passed on a bunch of PILs alleging displacement of people from their residences and incidents of violence following the assembly polls there and asked the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to probe them.

''My gratitude to the court for ensuring that justice is done to the countless victims of post-poll violence in Bengal,'' Irani said and took a swipe at those ''who call themselves liberal champions of women's rights and human rights'' for their ''deafening silence''.

The BJP has been attacking the TMC for alleged incidents of violence against its workers and their families in the state after the regional party defeated it in the assembly polls with Banerjee taking oath as chief minister for a third straight term.

Banerjee had recently said that there had been a few incidents of violence but they cannot be called political violence. Such an allegation by the BJP is a ''gimmick'', she had added. Hitting back, Irani said there have been incidents of people begging on camera for security and even allowing their ''faith'' and political allegiance to be changed so that their lives could be spared. Are people being ''disallowed'' ration and ''denied'' vaccination just because they are supporters of BJP a ''gimmick'', she asked, adding that there is ''plentiful evidence'' given by citizens of Bengal to not only courts but also to SC and ST commissions and the NHRC.

''Are those facts not real enough for Mamata Banerjee,'' the BJP leader asked.

The high court had passed the order to the NHRC on June 18, taking note of a report submitted by the member secretary of the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority which said that 3,243 persons were reported to be affected till noon of June 10.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)