In many parts of West Bengal violence has raged over the past few weeks against malpractices in the public distribution system of food.
However, the State leadership of the Communist Party of India says it is not a public outrage, rather some people are taking advantage of the situation and that the opposition is trying to destroy the rationing system.
The Opposition parties are blaming the government for its failure to check widespread malpractices in the system and demand a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The disturbances have claimed two lives over the past week in police firing. Another person, a ration dealer, committed suicide by hanging himself in Bankura district on Saturday. Fresh trouble erupted in Murshidabad and Burdwan districts on Sunday morning when houses and storage facilities of ration dealers were attacked and set on fire by a mob claiming to be victims of widespread malpractices in the rationing system.
Gautam Gupta has more on the story.
