Kolkata: Just before annual Martyr’s Day programme of Trinamool Congress (TMC) on July 21, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday while making July 21 Commission report public questioned that why didn’t the former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was asked to depose before the Justice Susanta Chatterjee commission which probed the July 21, 1993 firing which claimed lives of 12 youth Congress workers.
“Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was sent a questionnaire but she was not asked to give her statement. She claims that she is the prime eye witness of the firing in 1993. The Commission has mentioned that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government didn’t give relevant documents for the probe,” said Adhikari while tabling the report.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also said the commission did not find any justification for the police action on the youth Congress workers.
“Total 44 people were questioned. The reports submitted by then commissioner of police Tushar Talukdar and other officers have discrepancies. The commission had recommended compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the kin of those killed and Rs Five lakh to the injured but the TMC government gave Rs. 2 lakh to the families of those killed and Rs.15000 to the injured,” added Adhikari.
The West Bengal Chief Minister had announced that the present state government will allow a fresh FIR, if the family members of those killed or injured in the firing want to file it.
“If the family members want, our government will provide compensation from the Chief Minister’s relief fund,” added Adhikari.
TMC MLA Madan Mitra who had recently defected to the Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee’s faction of TMC said that though he was questioned by the Commission but he didn’t know the actual reason why the reports were suppressed.
