New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday decided to form an All Indian Trinamool Congress (AITC) Benevolent Fund to aid victim rehabilitation in the recent Delhi violence, which she has termed as “planned genocide” sponsored by the state.
The primary announcement of setting up a Fund to help riot victims rehabilitate was made on Monday as Banerjee launched 'Banglar Gorbo Mamata' (Bengal's pride Mamata), the TMC’s mass outreach campaign.
The first contributor to the fund is the AITC chief herself who will be contributing Rs 5 lakh from the royalty received for the books she has authored, sources have told CNN News18.
Besides, all 35 party MPs will make a contribution of Rs 10,000 each. Meanwhile, the party is also weighing in on other options for raising funds and is contributing efforts for the same at various levels.
On Monday, the Banerjee slammed the Centre over its incompetence in handling the Delhi violence in the national capital as she addressed the massive crowd at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.
Observing a minute silence for the victims, at the launch of her programme, Banerjee accused the BJP of orchestrating the violence: “They had all the police and intelligence in their hands, why did they allow this to happen?”
TMC’s floor leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien also displayed the party’s commitment to the cause even as he reminded that “We cannot bring back lives lost but at least can express our solidarity.”
Derek told CNN News18 that the AITC Benevolent Fund is ready to begin raising further funds with “Rs 10 lakh fund already committed” in its accounts.
The TMC is looking at making this a permanent fund to contribute for pan-Indian causes in case any need arises, he said.
In the violence that hit Northeast Delhi last week, at least 122 houses, 322 shops and 301 vehicles were reportedly gutted or damaged, according to an interim report by the district administration on the matter.
The damage to the physical infrastructures comes amid the loss of at least 47 lives, most of whom were brutally beaten to death, burned or succumbed to bullet injuries. More than 200 have reportedly sustained injuries and are admitted in hospitals.
The Delhi Police in the aftermath of the violence on Monday issued 16 helpline numbers for residents of different parts of the city to dispel rumours or verify reports of violence. This came after residents were thrown into a scare on Sunday evening as rumours of a riot mob taking the streets fell into ears across many pockets of the city.
The police have so far registered 254 FIRs and arrested or detained 903 persons in connected with the violence. Among these cases, close to forty have been registered under the Arms Act.
A probe has also been launched against AAP corporator Tahir Hussain who is accused for allegedly orchestrating the killing of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma. His body was pulled out from a drain in Shiv Vihar on Sunday.
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