Kolkata, May 17 As protests and violence erupted in several parts of the city demanding the release of the Trinamool Congress leaders and the ministers arrested by the CBI in the Narada sting operation case, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to follow 'constitutional norms' and 'rule of law'.
Dhankhar also asked the Kolkata police to control the law-and-order situation in the city.
"Concerned about the alarming situation. Call upon @MamataOfficial to follow constitutional norms & rule of law. Police @WBPolice @KolkataPolice @HomeBengal must take all steps to maintain law & order. Sad -- situation is being allowed to drift with no tangible action by authorities," the governor tweeted after violence erupted in front of the gate of the CBI regional office at Nizam Palace on Monday morning.
The Governor was referring to the chief minister who reached few minutes after two ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrtata Mukherjee, one MLA Madan Mitra and former ex-mayor Sovan Chatterjee were arrested in Narada sting operation case in which the four along with some other TMC leaders and police officers were seen taking money.
The bribery case rocked the state politics just before the last assembly polls in 2016.
Reacting to the violence that erupted on the streets of the city where Trinamool supporters clashed with the central forces, the governor wrote, "Invited attention @MamataOfficial "On channels and in public domain I notice arson and pelting of stones at CBI office. Pathetic that Kolkata Police @KolkataPolice and West Bengal Police @WBPolice are just onlookers. Appeal to you to act and restore law and order."
"Total lawlessness & anarchy. Police and administration in silence mode. Hope you realise the repercussions of such lawlessness and failure of constitutional mechanism. Time to reflect and contain this explosive situation that is worsening minute by minute," he added.
The CBI arrested Subrata Mukherjee, Firhad Hakim, Madan Mitra and Sovan Chatterjee on Monday, in connection with the 2016 Narada sting operation case. Mamata Banerjee rushed to CBI's office at Nizam Palace where the four were held and demanded she be arrested too, a source within TMC told IANS. TMC workers and supporters took to the streets to protest the arrests.
The Narada sting case dates back to 2016 and featured many high-profile TMC leaders receiving money on camera for fictitious companies. Besides those arrested, leader of opposition in the legislative assembly Suvendu Adhikari and BJP leader Mukul Roy were also recorded by Mathew Samuel, the man behind the sting operation.
Both Hakim and Mukherjee are sitting ministers in Banerjee's cabinet. Mitra, a member of the legislative assembly, has been arrested before for his alleged role in the Sarada scandal. Chatterjee joined BJP but quit on being denied a party ticket for the recently concluded assembly elections.
