Fraserganj (WB):, Union Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Monday refused to comment on law and order in Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal on the ground that law and order was a state subject.
“I don’t want to comment on it. Law and order is a state subject and the state government is looking into it,” he said after a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here in South 24-Parganas district, about 110 km from Kolkata.
WBPCC president Pradip Bhattacharya has said that he would apprise Shinde of alleged worsening law and order in the state. Shinde said that as per the state government’s request, central forces deployed in Jangalmahal, would be would withdrawn and sent to Darjeeling. “State government wants that central forces be withdrawn from Jangalmahal which is calm now and deployed in Darjeeling hill areas to defuse tension there,” he said. To another question, the union home minister said that the Centre would act on sending central forces during the ensuing panchayat elections in the state as per suggestions of the state government.
Shinde held an hour-long meeting with the chief minister on improving coastal security infrastructure, steps to stop smuggling, piracy and other issues.
Officials said that steps on strengthening coastal security were discussed as also increase in the number of coastal police stations from the existing six besides strengthening of the coastal police force.
Discussions were also held to ensure more protection to the fishermen from pirate attacks from across the border.
The chief minister and Shinde visited Jambudwip, 20 km from here, by hovercraft and talked to forest officers and employees. They also visited the Luthian Island and went up to Bangladesh territory before returning here. (PTI)
