Parl panel likely to discuss role of CAPF in West Bengal

The Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs may soon examine the role of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal. This was revealed when Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien presented a proposal to the committee's chairperson, BJP lawmaker Radha Mohan Das Agarwal. O'Brien submitted a three-page letter to the chairperson, urging the discussion of "the role of CAPF in the police atrocities and brutality ongoing in West Bengal." The TMC MP had also shared the letter with other members.

A senior functionary informed that Agarwal listened to two pages of the letter, which was recorded in the minutes, and then asked if the issue could be expanded to cover the CAPF's role in general. The committee had earlier discussed the subjects 'Crime against Children' and 'Implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in North-Eastern States'.

The letter highlighted that during the 2026 assembly polls in West Bengal, over 240,000 CAPF personnel were deployed, while 340,000 CAPF personnel were deployed nationwide during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The letter claimed that around 70,000 CAPF personnel remained deployed in West Bengal post-polls to prevent violence. Trinamool Congress workers and supporters were reportedly targeted, the MPs said.

Most members agreed to discuss the issue, and the chairperson assured it would be addressed soon. However, the timing remains unclear. BJP's Bengal state chief Shamik Bhattacharya challenged Agarwal's authority to handle the matter, recounting atrocities committed by the previous Trinamool government in West Bengal since 2021. Agarwal assured that Bhattacharya could raise his concerns during the later CAPF discussion.

The issue follows the TMC and BJP accusing each other of attacks on their members and supporters.