Five arrested for plotting attack on CM Mamata Banerjee home

On Thursday a major incident was reported where the Kolkata police reportedly arrested five people for plotting to attack CM Mamata Banerjee residence. It is said that the accused formed and mobilised a WhatsApp group known as ‘We Want Justice’ through which they planned the attack. Some of those arrested included the creator of the group, the admin and two others.

Details of the Alleged Conspiracy

The incident was brought into the limelight where a voice message was sent in the WhatsApp group, encouraging them to go to CM Mamata Banerjee’s residence at Kalighat and attack her house. The message implied that such an attack would result to the resignation of the Chief Minister from her position. The voice message which spread like wildfire included statements which raised doubts on the capacity of the police in assuring security to Kalighat, the CM’s locality.

The speaker, named as Shubham Sen Sharma, questioned the police how long they could ensure protection to Kalighat temple and how many policemen they can hire 20 or 30? His comment seemed to suggest an agenda to probably challenge the extent of protection offered by the police force. This led to the arrest of Sharma who was joins the other five people arrested in relation to the case.

Escalation and Involvement of Paschim Benga Chatra Samaj

The situation went up the stairs when an organisation named “Paschim Benga Chatra Samaj,” newly formed and led by Prabir was also arrested. Earlier this organization had staged a rally under the aegis of Nabanna Abhijan, calling for the removal of Mamata Banerjee from the CM’s post due to the murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. This was demonstrated clearly in the Tuesday rally where many people turned up and spoke in anger demanding justice.

But, the Kolkata Police agitated to stop the rally and hence a clash occurred between the police and the protestors. In the scuffle, many were left injured and roughly about two hundred were arrested after the rally. The occurrence led to controversies among the different groups and individuals, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members of parliament , who demanded 12 hour bandh in the country on the Wednesday. There were cases of violence in several places though not very frequent which added on to the agitated environment of the state.

Background of the Controversy: Murder of a Trainee Doctor

These events are set against the rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata on the early ‘hours of the 9th August’. The murder has provoked massive controversy and agitation and has always been in the forefront of political protests against the Mamata Banerjee government. Since the time the incident took place there have been complaints of government ineptitude and mismanagement of the situation. Some critics have likened the state administration to a failed protective force for the citizens especially in cases such as these sensitive ones touching on the young and professional .

Judicial Intervention and CBI Investigation

Due to the uproar of the public and the totality of the allegations the Kolkata High Court interceded and requested an independent investigation into the case. He added the court ordered the police to handover the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) indicating that the case had taken an indubitable serious twist.

The high court also ordered the polygraph test for main accused Dr Sanjay Rai, the principal of RG Kar Medical College Dr Sandeep Ghosh and four of other persons related to the case. All these tests were done in order to determine the truthfulness of their statements and to get any other information that might have arisen on the circumstances of the murder of the doctor.

Political Implications and Growing Tensions

The case has shifted focus of observation on the Mamata Banerjee government’s ability to maintain law and order in West Bengal while it also came as a cause of broader conversation on politics and political violence, and opposition in particular.

This means that the protest model adopted by the BJP in particular and the active participation in the Nabanna Abhijan rally affirms that there is blame in the government for being irked certain sections of the population deeply. But the incidents of violence that the party used during the bandh only show how much hostility has risen between the TMC and opponents.

Future Outlook and Potential Ramifications

Therefore, while the agencies are probing the reported plot against West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the situation in the state remains tension-prone. The arrests carried out by the Kolkata Police show that the authorities are concerned with threats posed by these outfits, although the consequences of such developments for the state’s politics have not yet been fully manifested.

As the CBI steps into the case and the legal proceedings continue the weeks to come may see new developments in both the murder case and the alleged conspiracy against the Chief Minister. The conclusions of such probes may have far-reaching implications for not only the state’s political climate and its ability to host free and fair elections in the future but for the physical well-being of its political leadership as well.