Guv meets refugees in Bengal's riot-hit areas; TMC says reckless

315 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN 3 DISTRICTS SO FAR, ACCORDING TO THE REPORT

- Tanmay Chatterjee

KOLKATA/BERHAMPORE: West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Friday met some refugees from riot-hit Murshidabad district at a government relief camp in the neighboring Malda district, a move the state's ruling Trinamool Congress party termed as "reckless".

Bose, on Saturday, is likely to visit the areas in Murshidabad where communal clashes erupted last week during protests against the newly-enforced Waqf law, Raj Bhavan officials said. Separate teams of the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Women also visited the camp at a school in Baishnabnagar.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had on Thursday urged the governor to defer his trip after Bose made it clear he would visit the areas rocked by violence last week following a meeting with a group affected by the riots. On Friday, however, Bose reached Malda by train and spoke to the refugees at the camp in the evening.

"They want justice. It is our duty to see that justice is given to them. Peace and harmony will be re-established. This visit is to know what is happening in the field...After this I will file my report," Bose said.

"After speaking to the people I felt that one section of the community was trying to intimidate another section. All steps will be taken to stem the rot of violence and corruption," he added.

Referring to Banerjee's appeal, he said: "The request of my Constitutional colleague will be respected. I will take that into account when I visit the field."