It was a horrific sight, eight people burnt alive in Bengal's Birbhum, after protests erupted over the killing of Trinamool Congress leader. Videos showing charred bodies, including those of women and children, have surfaced on social media. This evening, the Prime Minister stepped in and said those who encourage such criminals should not be forgiven. The BJP has claimed this was not an isolated incident, while demanding President's Rule. Mamata Banerjee went on the offensive earlier, saying "such incidents have happened in Gujarat and Rajasthan too" while promising a fair probe. The Calcutta High Court also stepped in today, on its own, and decided to take up the case. It ordered the state government to immediately install CCTV cameras with adequate storage facilities covering all angles of the scene of the crime in the presence of the district judge. It also ordered a Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) team to visit the site and collect required evidence for forensic analysis. West Bengal has a decades long history of political violence. But has it gone too far? And does the state government need to accept responsibility?
