Mamata slams Centre for reviving Communal Violence Bill

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today criticised the Centre for reviving the Communal Violence Bill alleging that it would impinge upon the state governments' domain of maintenance of law and order.

Stating that just a few months before the Model Code of Conduct for the next year's Lok Sabha elections comes into force, Banerjee said in a Facebook post, "the Central government has again brought a Bill called Prevention of Communal Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2013, which impinges upon the domain of maintenance of law and order by the state government."

"It looks like a political vendetta," she said. She said that "continuous and unnecessary interference" in the activities of state governments was "totally anti-federal and unconstitutional".

"In the name of prevention of communal violence, the Central Government should not usurp the constitutional powers of the state governments," Trinamool Congress chief Banerjee said.

"I strongly oppose this idea," she said. Stating that minority groups, caste, creeds, religion and languages were loved and respected, she said, "It is our responsibility and commitment to protect them as members of our family."