Setback for Mamata Banerjee government in Dubrajpur firing case

Recent investigations have revealed that the incident in which police fired at protesting villagers in Dubrajpur over land dispute was allegedly under pressure by Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government.

Incidentally, while the chief minister on Thursday denied that the government or even local panchayat had any knowledge of police operation, she praised both, the villagers and police forces, for exercising restraints, despite provocation by conspirators and mafias. Six villagers suffered bullet injuries in police firing on Tuesday morning and a number of police personnel were injured in the attack by villagers with arrows and bricks.

Being the head of home department, Banerjee also ordered a probe into the incident and asked superintendent of police of the Birbhum District to go on leave.

What deeply hurt the credibility of the Trinamool Congress government was not just the "face-saving contradictions", but also consciously telling people "untruth", as a Congress leader said.

Government sources said that "for days some Bengal ministers were planning a police operation to get an earth moving equipment which villagers had detained over land and compensation disputes."

"Though police advised them against such operation, the TMC ministers insisted," sources said. They had government permission to launch a campaign against angry villagers, sources said.

The alleged contradictions have exposed the Mamata Banerjee government to attacks by CPI(M), Congress and BJP.

The development goes against TMC's land policy, which declines any kind of government interference on private lands.

A senior TMC leader told DNA, "No amount of conspiracy against us would succeed, Dubrajpur incident cannot be compared with Singur and Nandigram brutalities let loose by the Left government."