No central team for Malda; let West Bengal govt handle it: Centre

New Delhi: Apparently not willing to antagonize West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Centre will not send any official team to West Bengal, as demanded by BJP, as of now to probe the violence in Malda.

A decision has been taken by the central government not to send any team of officials to West Bengal to study the violence in Malda where protesters had set fire to a police station and damaged several vehicles, leading to tension in the area. "As of now, no central team will visit. Since law and order is a state subject, let the West Bengal government handle the situation," a Home Ministry official said.

A three-member BJP delegation had yesterday met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and demanded a high-level probe into the Malda violence, alleging it had links with fake currency and narcotics trade and infiltration. Accusing the Trinamool Congress government of protecting criminals involved in the incident of "anarchy and terror", the BJP team led by general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is also the in-charge of party's West Bengal unit, had met Singh, who "assured" them of appropriate action.

"Leaders linked with TMC were also involved in it. It is not only a matter of state but that of national security. People who do illegal activities there were leading it," Vijayvargiya had said. He alleged that "pro-Pakistan" slogans were raised by the crowd which also targeted establishments of a particular community. Tension gripped West Bengal's Malda district on Sunday after a mob torched the entire police station and several vehicles during a protest rally.