Mamata to police: Stop violence, be impartial

KOLKATA: Chief minister designate Mamata Banerjee has ordered a tough crackdown on the post-poll violence raging across the state. On Wednesday, she met directorgeneral of police Naparajit Mukherjee at her Kalighat home and asked that police act “impartially” and recover illegal firearms stockpiled in the districts.
She had said much the same to city police commissioner R K Pachnanda on Tuesday.In the five days since the election results were declared, seven persons have been killed, 65 injured and over 350 firearms recovered in West Midnapore, Bankura and Hooghly. The violence shows no signs of ebbing with political workers being attacked in Kolkata as well.
Emerging from the meeting, Mukherjee said: “Mamata Banerjee has instructed to take stern action, act impartially and stressed on the recovery of firearms. She also expressed her concern on the traffic situation.” Chief secretary Samar Ghosh also met Mamata later in the evening.
On Sunday, moments after being elected as the Trinamool legislative party leader, Mamata had said she would give a free hand to the police. The party will not interfere and the police will act impartially. Reports of clashes and arms seizures poured in from south Bengal and Howrah on Tuesday and Wednesday. A 27-year-old Trinamool supporter, Sukumar Das, was doused with petrol and set on fire on Tuesday night in Howrah.
The party blamed CPM for the attack. Das suffered 30% burn injuries. The prime accused, Somnath Senapati, has been arrested.