In yet another embarrassment for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, National Human Rights Commission has slapped a notice on her Government for firing tear gas shells and lathi-charging women during a left Front rally last week.
In a strongly worded letter, the NHRC has asked the State DGP, and Kolkata Police Commissioner apart from the Home Department to explain within a fortnight why the police burst tear gas shells, charged baton and used water cannon on the women rallyists, Government sources said.
A number of rallyists including CPI(M) politburo member Biman Bose had been injured in a free for all that had ensued on that day.
While none in the Government chose to go on record on the issue, a senior Minister said, “there are bigger human rights violations in other parts of the country which should also come to focus,” reminding how a 13 rallyists were killed on July 21, 1993 when the police “resorted to unprovoked firing on a Congress rally led by the then Youth Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.”
This was not the first time that the State Government had been issued a notice on human rights violation. Earlier the National Commission for Women had on several occasions moved against the State Government for torturing women supporters of the BJP in Birbhum district.
The Government not only would not take proper action in that case but also subsequently reinstated erring and suspended officers who had tortured the Birbhum victim.