Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday termed the massacre in Birbhum a “jaghanya paap (heinous sin)”, assured the state government all help in nabbing the culprits and said the people of Bengal should never forgive those who unleashed and encouraged the perpetrators.

Modi made the comments while virtually inaugurating from Delhi the Biplobi Bharat Gallery at Calcutta’s Victoria Memorial Hall.

The alacrity with which Modi responded stood in sharp contrast with his failure to condole the deaths in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, where too eight people were killed on October 3, 2021.

A jeep belonging to Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni had mowed down four farmers and a journalist in Lakhimpur Kheri. Three BJP supporters were killed in the backlash. Modi has so far neither condoled the farmers nor taken any action against Teni who continues to be a minister. Teni’s son is an accused in the case. Last month, Modi said the Uttar Pradesh government was working transparently in the case.

On Wednesday, referring to the Birbhum killings, Modi said: “I express my sadness and condolences….”