India: West Bengal governor condemns attack on ED officials, calls incident ‘ghastly’

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday (Jan 5) condemned the attack on members of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) team and called it a "ghastly incident". He also summoned the Home Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) over their alleged role in the attack.

While speaking to the press, he said itis the prime responsibility of agovernment to bar vandalism in a democracy.

"It is a ghastly incident. It is alarming and deplorable. It is the duty of a civilised government to stop barbarism and vandalism in a democracy. If a government fails in its basic duty, then the Constitution of India will take its course. I reserve all my constitutional options for appropriate action. This pre-election violence should find an early end, and this is the beginning of that end," said Bose.

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On Thursday night (Jan 4),an Enforcement Directorate team was attacked by a mob and their vehicles vandalised in Sandeshkhali village of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal.

This happened at the time the agency was conducting raids at the residence of former Bongaon Municipality Chairman Shankar Adhyaand TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan's house over their role in an alleged ration scam case, said an ED official.

Shahjahan is the Fisheries and Animal Resources Officer of North 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad as well as Block President of Sandeshkhali 1.

TwoED officials suffered injuries in the incident.

A member of the raiding ED team said, "Eight people came to the spot. We three moved from the incident spot ...they attacked us."

TMC MP Santanu Sen, however, claimed that the officials of the federal agency 'provoked' the locals which led to a counter-reaction from the people.

"The officers of the Central investigation agency surrounded by the Central forces provoked the local people. That's why there were counter-reactions continuously," he said.

Sen also said that the people of the country are 'frustrated' with actions taken by the central agencies which are being 'monitored from Delhi'.

"The real fact is the people of India are frustrated watching this deep-rooted conspiracy engineered and monitored from Delhi daily and that too in the case of TMC in West Bengal...On the contrary, the person who's posting all this on social media is topping the list of corruption. He was found taking money before the camera. His other family members are accused of corruption but no action was taken against them because they belong to BJP," said Sen.

(With inputs from agencies)