After illegal hawkers lynch RPF man to protest eviction, Mamata blames Centre

TT, Calcutta, May 26 (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday termed as “unfortunate” the lynching of a Railway Protection Force constable by hawkers at Malda and said this was a result of Centre's interference in law and order situation in the state.

Mamata told the Assembly that the Centre should have informed the state government about hawker eviction. The RPF did not inform the state about this as it is under the jurisdiction of the Railways.

An RPF personnel was stoned to death and three more were injured when angry hawkers allegedly attacked the RPF office in Malda station premises after one of them was barred from doing business.

Mamata said both hawkers and RPF had done wrong, but the problem that took place on Monday can be credited to the Centre for its interference in the law and order issue of the state.

The railway hawkers, she said, live in distress and their eviction should be carefully planned and executed and not in the abrupt manner seen Monday.

The incident took place after an RPF team asked a hawker not to sell wares at the entrance to the station, but as the hawker protested the personnel beat him up.

Stating that there was no role of state police in the incident, Mamata said proper negotiation was needed. They also need a rehabilitation package for sustaining their livelihood.

In this regard, she said that the state government was preparing a scheme for the railway hawkers.