Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today cautioned the CBI, which has started its investigations into the Bogtui carnage in Birbhum district, and said that her party would take to the streets and launch a movement if the central agency tries to shift its focus on other issues as per the BJP and other political parties’ instructions without focusing on the actual investigations.

As she began her five-day North Bengal tour, Miss Banerjee also urged people to inform the local police if they apprehend any untoward incident. According to her, the state government will take appropriate action against officers concerned if they are found not taking immediate steps.

Miss Banerjee was speaking at a government programme at Gossainpur near Siliguri, days after the state government sent the Rampurhat inspector-in-charge (IC) and the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) in compulsory waiting for dereliction of duty.

She said it was good that the CBI was investigating the Bogtui incident, but that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the state government had also made headway in the case. “I am still claiming that there was a big conspiracy in the Rampurhat incident. We want justice. There was progress in the investigation of the SIT. We will cooperate with the CBI. But if the central agency is involved in other issues in league with the BJP, CPI-M, Congress without focusing on the actual investigation, we will hit the streets and launch movements,” the CM said.

The Calcutta High Court has handed over the investigations of the massacre, in which eight persons were charred to death, to the CBI on 25 March and has directed it to file a report by 7 April. Miss Banerjee said the Rampurhat incident was a ploy to derail employment opportunities. “You do not want employment generation. We want to create employment for one lakh people in Deocha-Pachami (proposed coal mine project),” the CM said.

“I strongly condemn the incident and hope such incident will not be repeated. Murder is murder, death is death, no one can support this. There were lapses on the part of the police, as after the murder they should have apprehended that something could have happened. We took immediate action. The IC was removed. The SDPO was removed, and 22 persons have been arrested, while the Trinamul Congress block president (Anarul Hossain) and Trinamul Congress activists have been arrested. I urge the people, please have faith in me. If I come across anything, I take necessary steps, but not everything us in my hands, I am not God or Allah. But it is our priority to take steps immediately after an incident and it should be observed whether such action is taken,” she added.

According to the CM, the track record of the central investigation agency was not satisfactory. Mentioning several cases, she referred to the Rabindranath Tagore Nobel medal theft, killing of 14 persons in Nandigram, Netai massacre, the Tapasi Malik case in Singur, and said there was no headway in those cases. Miss Banerjee tore into the opposition parties and said that they kept mum when migrant workers from Bengal died in Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir. She said such victims in places like Unnao, Hathras, and Lakhimpur Kheri were denied justice.

Urging people to inform the police of any untoward incident that they feel might take place, she said: “I request the common people that if they come across any information about any untoward incident or riot, please inform the local police station. If they do not take any immediate step, then the state government will take action against those officers. Everyone has a mobile phone, take photos, if necessary send them through your known persons. I request the same to media persons also.

Many of you have my phone numbers, and you can send them to me also. If we can take immediate steps, no one will dare to commit such crime. We need to play an important role, and if anyone helps, the state government will reward them,” Miss Banerjee said, reminding that when she was the railway minister, she had appealed to the village and town people to keep vigil on the tracks and inform the railways of any cracks on the tracks, and about other problems.

The CM further talked about her plans to float a platform like the ‘Didi Ke Bolo.’ “I will take two months more time, after that if the complaints are lodged over corruption, murder, torture, I will create another set up like Didi Ke Bolo. I am not telling you its name at this moment, but we will inform you. You will give a missed call and tell your name there, and what you want or if anything is happening.

Steps would be taken immediately against them, irrespective of their background–whether they are officers, political leaders, journalists or outsiders. It could be their motive is to fuel riots, conspiracy,” she said.

Meanwhile, she lambasted the Centre for the hike in prices of essential drugs, domestic cooking gas, petrol and diesel. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has announced a hike in prices of around 800 essential drugs from 1 April.