Kolkata Mayor and West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim said that the police should investigate the alleged assassination attempt on Trinamool councillor Sushanta Ghosh as soon as possible.
Sushanta Ghosh narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in front of his residence in Kolkata at around 8 pm on Friday after the attacker’s gun malfunctioned. The accused was chased by Ghosh and caught with the help of locals and Trinamool supporters and handed over to the police.
The accused were on a bike and while the pillion rider was arrested, the rider is yet to be traced.
Referring to the assassination attempt as the “culture of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar”, Hakim said that it won’t “be tolerated” in the state.
“The police can’t sit idle and should act now. How are illegal firearms entering West Bengal despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s order?” he said.
Hakim said that stopping criminals was the job of the police and not of councillors.
“A councillor or coordinator can check if water logging is taking place or if roads are dirty. I cannot stop criminals. I don’t have firearms and cannot fight against criminals. It is the duty of police,” he said.
The minister said that the police should find the motive behind the assassination attempt and also trace the culprits.
He further said that the police should trace and arrest illegal smuggling of firearms into the state.
On questions of whether the assassination attempt was due to rivalry within the party, Hakim said that the police should find it out and nab the others associated with it.
Hakim further said that “interstate criminals” should be stopped.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has continuously told the police to seize firearms being smuggled from outside. How is it that arms are being allowed to come – from Munger (Bihar), Uttar Pradesh and other places?” the Mayor said.
“We are soldiers of Mamata, not afraid of criminals. A crime is a crime,” he added.
