A PIL has been filed in Calcutta High court by social activist Susheel Kumar Pandey through advocates J Sai Deepak and Rishav Singh seeking urgent relief in the wide spread brutal retributive state sponsored violence and devastation unleashed by the TMC workers after their victory in the recently concluded assembly elections.

As reported by Live Law, the petition states that the state machinery failed to protect the life and liberty of its citizens; the members and sympathisers of the opposition political parties have been systematically murdered in cold blood in broad day light, with their houses and personal properties being destroyed in the presence of police.

The plea avers, “There have been instances of heinous crimes including the bombing of localities, murders, violations against the modesty of women, riotous looting, kidnapping, arson and destruction of public property”.

The petitioner stated, that due to this pogrom, nearly 80,000 people who are mostly supporters of the opposition parties have fled to neighbouring states like Assam, “which showcases the utter and deliberate failure of the State machinery to protect their fundamental rights”

The petition urges that there is utter failure of constitutional mechanism in the state and complete collapse of law and order, making it a fit case for imposition of the President’s Rule under Art.356.

The petition states, “The nature of the videos and content doing rounds across the social media platform are so gory and gruesome that the collective conscience of the citizens in the State and across the country has been shaken”.

The petition states that the state administration and the police have not only failed to protect the citizens, but also refused to file FIRs and complaints in several instances indicating to an institutionalized violence and destruction of the democratic fabric of the State.

The petition also points out that it is particularly worrisome that a State headed by a woman Chief Minister is not moved by the plight of women workers of the opposition parties, who are subjected to untold cruelty and brutalities by her own party supporters.

It thus concludes, “In a nutshell, this is textbook Fascism at work and it is a national disgrace that this has taken place in the largest democracy in the world and in great State of West Bengal which led the Indian Renaissance”

The petition prays for the following:

  • show cause for not registering FIRS of victims despite reported exodus of 80,000 people from the State to neighbouring Assam.
  • Steps taken to rehabilitate the victims of the violence.
  • Immediate arrest and prosecution of all individuals responsible for the commission of heinous offences.
  • Show cause for not registering FIRS against complaints of sexual assaults of women despite confirmation of cases by the National Commission of Women.
  • Direct investigation by the NIA into the violence unleashed in the State.
  • Designate separate Bench or Special Court to adjudicate and dispose off matters pertaining to prosecution of any individual or organisation involved in the pogrom unleashed in the State from May 2nd onwards.
  • Direct State of West Bengal to provide adequate compensation over and above compensation already declared to the victims and families of victims of the pogrom.

It is hoped that the High Court of Calcutta takes a very serious view of the pogrom unleashed by the TMC criminals on opposition political party workers and sympathisers forcing them to flee Bengal. The court should also take cognizance of the genocide of Hindus by Islamists in areas where Muslims are in majority under the garb of political violence in the State. The situation in West Bengal is currently similar to the Partition years in 1946-47 when Jinnah’s Muslim League during Direct Action Day unleashed a wave of terror and pogrom on Bengali Hindus in a bid to clear out Hindus from in and around Calcutta.

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