Rat on rioters, get cash prize, even job: Mamata Banerjee

DURGAPUR/PURULIA: CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday unveiled a public engagement initiative, probably not tested anywhere else in the country, to identify people participating in or instigating riots. There is going to be a cash reward of Rs 1,000 for citizens sending photographs of rioters to cops and, even better, the promise of a government job for those who can apprehend or help cops apprehend rioters “on the spot”.
Banerjee, speaking at an administrative meet in Durgapur on Monday, told state director-general of police Surajit Kar Purkayastha, who was also on the dais, to ask police stations to undertake “community development engagement programmes”.
“We need to beef up local surveillance and spot the culprits (spreading or participating in riots). The government will give a cash reward of Rs 1,000 to those who help cops identify them. And those who catch the mischief- makers on the spot may also get government jobs,” she added.
Banerjee was speaking about the tension at Chaltaberia in North 24 Parganas’ Duttapukur on March 3 following rumours that pieces of meat had been thrown at a local temple. “It’s a conspiracy. RSS and BJP have a hand. I say this because we got this information from the arrested,” she said.
Trying to emphasise that there was no political or communal bias in what she was saying, the CM added: “I won’t hesitate to name Trinamool if anyone from the party is involved in such acts. The riot-mongers are paying Rs 20,000 to people, asking them to buy meat from a local shop and throw them at places of worship. I won’t discriminate between a Hindu or a Muslim culprit. Police should keep a list of places of worship and keep a watch on them, particularly at night and early morning, when such mischief is usually done.”
The CM elaborated on the issue at a public gathering in Purulia later on Monday. “We are here to groom human beings. We are not here to rake up riots,” she said. She then referred to the “BJP’s attempts to manipulate votes with money”. “They (BJP) have targeted Bengal. We, instead, we have targeted Delhi. Our aim is to reach the Red Fort. We have the grit and the guts to tackle the BJP’s onslaught. Buying the poor with money will not be possible in Bengal,” she added.
The BJP, however, rubbished Banerjee’s charges. “Trinamool men are involved in this sort of mischief at most places and cops are unable to take them to task,” BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu said.
Banerjee harped on Bengal’s “self-respect” to ward off the saffron threat that had already captured Tripura. “Bengal has never bowed to such pressure. Some are looting public money parked in banks and using them in elections. This cannot go on,” she said, referring to several Bengal government-sponsored schemes and development projects in Purulia to showcase her development-and-progress model.