India: State Chief Mamata Banerjee Alleges Wider Conspiracy Behind West Bengal Killings

A cluster of houses in Birbhum were allegedly attacked and set on fire by a mob in which eight people, including women and children, were burnt to death on Tuesday.
Sputnik
India's West Bengal state chief Mamata Banerjee visited the areas in which violence occurred at the Bogtui Village on Thursday and met family members of those killed.

Alleging there was a bigger conspiracy behind Tuesday's violence, Banerjee said that "stringent action would be taken against the culprits and the police would investigate the killings from all angles".

On Monday night, Bhadu Sheikh, a member of the state ruling party Trinamool Congress, died after crude bombs were hurled at him.
The incident triggered violence, and several houses, including two belonging to the men accused of Sheikh's murder, were allegedly attacked and set on fire using petrol bombs.
The mob also locked a house from outside so that there was no escape for those inside from the flames. Seven charred bodies were later recovered from one house, while a man died of injuries at a hospital.
The state's main opposition -- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- said that the incident indicates a collapse of law and order.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described the killings as "heinous" and said those responsible for them should not be forgiven.
Banerjee alleged that there is a conspiracy to defame her government.
On the occasion, she announced that compensation would be paid for rebuilding the torched homes. She also said that INR 200,00 ($2,620) would be given to each affected family to rebuild damaged houses.
The state chief earlier announced a compensation package of half a million Indian rupees ($6,551) for the families of each person killed, and INR 50,000 ($655) for the injured. She also promised government jobs to individuals in the affected families.
She also handed over cheques to the affected families during the visit.
So far, at least 22 people have been arrested in connection with the violence.
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