Kolkata, April 27: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a video clip aired by a Bengali news channel. In this clip, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee allegedly used derogatory language against members of the Scheduled Caste community.
This intervention comes at a politically sensitive time, as assembly elections are currently underway in the state. It has sparked a new debate regarding the context and implications of the Chief Minister’s statements.
NCSC Director Sonali Dutta wrote to West Bengal’s Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariyala and Police Director General Siddh Nath Gupta on Sunday. In her letter, she stated that the commission has decided to investigate the matter under the powers granted by Article 338 of the Constitution of India.
A copy of this letter is also available. The commission instructed the Chief Secretary and Police Director General to submit an “Action Taken Report” (ATR) to Dutta within three days of receiving the notice.
The commission has requested details of any preliminary investigations conducted so far, as well as the actions taken by the state administration in response to the statements made in the video clip.
In the message sent to Nariyala and Gupta, the NCSC warned that if the ATR is not received within the stipulated three-day period, the commission will be compelled to take action under the powers conferred by the Constitution of India.
The letter states, “Please note that if the commission does not receive a response from you within the specified time, it may exercise powers granted to civil courts under Article 338 of the Constitution. This includes the ability to summon you or your representative to appear before the commission.”
This notice from the commission comes just three days before the second phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal, which is scheduled for April 29. Voting will take place across 142 assembly seats in six districts, including Kolkata, with the counting of votes set for May 4.
–
SC News
Leave a Comment