Post poll violence: NHRC panel hits out at apathy of Bengal govt

New Delhi, July 15: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has submitted its final report in the Calcutta High Court in connection with the alleged post poll violence. The NHRC had formed a panel to probe the violence.

The Calcutta High Court while taking cognisance of the report said that it would hear the case on July 22. The panel also recommended a CBI probe into grievous offences like murder and rape that took place in the aftermath of the elections.

The report criticised the West Bengal government for allegedly failing to stem the violence. "The spatio-temporal expanse of violent incidents in Bengal reflect appalling apathy of the state government towards the plight of victims," the panel said.

The panel also said that the incidents represent a larger picture of organised violence by supporters of the ruling party in retribution against people who dated to support the other major party (BJP) which lost the elections. Some organs or personnel of the state government remained mute spectators while others were apparently complicit in most of the incidents of violence.

"If the above mentioned worrisome trend is not arrested, where the entire governmental machinery has been used through innumerable acts of omission and commission for furthering the political objectives of the party in power, the disease may spread to other states also," the report said.