The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal seems to be blind to law and order. The police are puttee in its hands. The murder of a police officer in Garden Reach prompted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to remove Police Commissioner R.K. Pachnanda from his post. His guilt was to refuse tailoring the FIR following the instructions of the Trinamool to protect Councillor Mohammad Iqbal who shot the police officer amidst political clashes over a college election. Iqbal who is absconding was protected by state urban development minister Firad Hakim. The police are after Iqbal. But Pachnanda was shunted off and the CID has taken over. All this shows the reluctance of the state government to abide by the rule of law. It is not the first such incident. It recalls the transfer of Joint Police Commissioner Damayanti Sen last year. She had made progress in the Park Street case which is still hanging fire.
West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan is reported to have questioned the competency of the Trinamool Congress to run a government. Claiming that the media has misquoted him does not clear the air. West Bengal is in chaos. The economy faces bankruptcy. Political crime is on the rise. Party interference in governance has become ominous. Darjeeling is up in arms. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha President Bimal Gurung has asked for imposition of President’s rule in West Bengal as he thinks that Mamata Banerjee has shown immaturity in handling the sensitive issue of Gorkhaland. The Chief Minister has to rise to the occasion to justify the confidence reposed in her in the assembly elections.
