Terming as “ghastly and alarming” an attack on an Enforcement Directorate team and the CRPF personnel accompanying them during a raid on the house of a Trinamool Congress leader in the Sandeshkhali area of North 24 Parganas district in connection with the ration distribution scam, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday said he was exploring options to take action in the matter. “The ghastly incident in Sandeshkhali is alarming and deplorable. It is the duty of a civilised government to stop barbarism and vandalism in a democracy. As Governor of the state, I am exploring all Constitutional options to take an appropriate action in an appropriate manner," said the Governor in an audio statement. Asserting that Bengal is not a banana republic, Bose said, "Jungle Raj and goonda raj will work in a fool's paradise. The state government should better open its eyes and see the reality and act effectively or face the consequences. The state government failed to maintain the law and order at Sandeshkhali.” "The ostrich-like attitude of the police pretending not to see the lawlessness around should go… This pre-election violence which has an early beginning, should find an early end," he added. Also, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court said when a lawyer drew his attention to incident after a hearing, “I was not aware of this incident. If such an incident happened, the ED officials can draw the Governor's attention on the law and order situation.” In the evening, the Governor met the ED officials, who sustained serious injuries in the attack in Sandeshkhali, in the hospital where they were undergoung treatment. Justice Gangopadhyay also visited the hospital to meet the ED injured officials. “Are those who attacked ED officials Indian citizens? Are you sure they are not coming from outside by boats?” he asked. Criticising Justice Gangopadhyay statement, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, "Justice Gangopadhyay's comments are offensive and out of his jurisdiction. He is insulting the chair. He should enter politics."
