Political violence in Bengal is brutal: Sushma Swaraj

KOLKATA: Mamata Banerjee had been a victim of violence herself and political violence is continuing during her regime, former foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday. Present at a programme in New Delhi where family members of political victims in Bengal narrated their ordeal, Swaraj said that such killings are barbaric. The family members are likely to meet the Union home minister Amit Shah soon.


“Mamata Banerjee has been a victim of political violence herself. I am surprised to see that political violence and murder is continuing during her regime,” Swaraj said. Commenting on the ordeal of the victims of political violence in Bengal she said, “I am surprised how can people be so brutal to cling on to the power. They can even kill somebody for that. Those who have been killed were at no fault. They joined the BJP as they believed in the party’s ideology,” she said.

Sources in the Bengal BJP on Wednesday indicated that five of the 23 family members of the victims of political violence are likely to meet Shah. “Five families have been chosen and we are trying to get an appointment for them,” said a Bengal BJP leader. Family members of the 23 victims were on Wednesday present at a programme organised by the India Foundation—a thinktank and research organisation. “The victims’ families have asked for speedy justice and CBI enquiry into the killings of their kin. The public hearing continued till late night,” said Saptarshi Chowdhury, media in charge of the party in the state.