'Violence will be tackled firmly': Mamata Banerjee after taking oath as Bengal CM

Kolkata, May 05: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday vowed to not 'give respite' to those behind political violence sweeping the state since the election results were announced.

Banerjee was sworn-in on Wednesday as chief minister of West Bengal for the third consecutive term and her cabinet will be expanded with the induction of other ministers on May 9, the birth anniversary of Bengali cultural icon nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Banerjee said she will hold a meeting on the pandemic situation at state secretariat Nabanna soon after leaving Raj Bhavan. Referring to incidents of violence which have reportedly claimed the lives of several BJP and TMC workers, Banerjee said, "I will tackle law and order from today and deal with these sternly. This is my second priority."

"We will not give respite to anyone (perpetrators of violence), and do everything to restore law and order," she told journalists after taking oath.

She urged all political parties to help maintain peace and order.

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar administered her the oath of office and secrecy at a low-key ceremony at Raj Bhavan held amid the raging COVID pandemic.

Banerjee took the oath in Bengali language.

She is the 21st chief minister of West Bengal and 8th person to hold the office.

The oath-taking ceremony was held even as the BJP, which has emerged as the main opposition party in the state, held a protest at its Hastings office against attacks on its workers allegedly by the TMC since Sunday night.

The party has claimed several of its workers were killed and party offices set on fire and vandalised. Party president J P Nadda and state unit chief Dilip Ghosh were present.