India: Mamata Banerjee sworn in as Chief Minister amid post-poll violence

• Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee was sworn in as West Bengal chief minister for the third straight term on 5 May 21 after she spearheaded her party to a remarkable victory in the assembly polls.
• Mamata Banerjee, in her trademark white Sari and shawl, took oath in Bengali. Banerjee said her first priority would be to tackle Covid and also appealed to people to maintain peace.
• The ceremony comes amid mounting pressure on the TMC government over the post-poll violence that claimed at least 14 lives in two days.
• A senior West Bengal police official said the violence had been particularly intense in at least six districts scattered across the state, with homes of some 100 political workers from both sides attacked and vandalised. Both parties said their workers were being targeted by rivals.
• India’s National Human Rights Commission said on 4 May 21 it would send an investigation team to the state.
• Banerjee has asked the administration to control the violence at the earliest, blaming the BJP for it. On 4 May 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and the Union Home Ministry seeking a report from its state counterpart. BJP president J P Nadda also met families of the victims.
• Moments after swearing-in Mamata Banerjee for her third straight term, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “Our priority is that we must bring an end to this senseless violence that has affected society at large. I have every hope that the CM on an urgent basis will take all steps to restore rule of law.”

External Link : https://www.reuters.com/world/india/post-election-violence-kills-six-eastern-india-2021-05-05/

External Link : https://indianexpress.com/article/india/mamata-banerjee-swearing-in-ceremony-live-updates-west-bengal-chief-minister-poll-violence-7302590/