Central forces, police contain violence in Murshidabad; TMC-BJP tussle escalates

No incident of communal attack was reported on Sunday from Bengal’s Murshidabad district, where 17 companies of central paramilitary force were deployed following an order of the Calcutta high court passed on Saturday after a man and his son were hacked to death and a third man died in firing by security personnel.

The incidents happened when violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act intensified in Murshidabad between Friday and Saturday and triggered communal attacks.

As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a rally in Kolkata on Sunday demanding chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation and probe by federal agencies, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that the violence was carried out by criminals who were allowed to cross over from Bangladesh by the Border Security Force (BSF) as “part of a plan.”

“Mamata Banerjee has no right to continue. The homes of hundreds of Hindus were attacked. The violence should be probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA),” BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said.

TMC countered the allegations.

“Leaders of some parties and a section of the BSF drew a blueprint to create trouble for TMC. The men who led the violence were all outsiders. BSF let them in from across the border. They have disappeared. After all, who stands to gain politically if a communal violence takes place here?” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said hours after police announced that the violence had been contained.

“The situation is fully under control now,” director general of police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar told reporters on Sunday afternoon at Shamserganj, the worst-hit region, from where around 300 residents fled to the neighbouring Malda district and took shelter in a relief camp at Parlalpur High School in Baishnabnagar.

They crossed the Ganga in boats under police protection. Some Shamserganj residents fled to Jharkhand as well, local people said.

“At least 155 more people have been arrested since Saturday. Citizens should not be provoked by rumour. They must contact us and crosscheck,” Ananda Roy, Superintendent of police (SP), Jangipur, said, adding that 118 people were arrested earlier.

In Murshidabad, where the Muslim population is around 60%, Bengal’s highest, the community has been carrying out violent protests and blocking roads since April 8 at Suti, Jangipur, Dhuliyan and Shamserganj, demanding scrapping of the new Act, to which President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent on April 5.

TMC’s district leaders accused the police of reacting late to the Shamserganj violence in which Haragobindo Das and his son Chandan Das were hacked to death, allegedly by a mob of around 300 people, on Friday night.

“Police took action at Shamserganj, but they were four hours late. Also, the number of policemen was less than what was required to tackle the situation. My office at Dhuliyan was ransacked too,” Khalilur Rahaman, the TMC Lok Sabha member from Jangipur, said, supporting allegations made by relatives of the two victims.

Manirul Islam, TMC legislator from Farakka, said: “My old home at Shamserganj, where my elder brother lives, was attacked. I shifted my family to Farakka to ensure their safety.”

Humayun Kabir, TMC legislator from Bharatpur, said: “None of this would have happened had the police acted on time and identified the troublemakers. It is a matter of shame for us that so many Hindus had to flee their homes and take shelter in Malda. People of all faiths have the right to live here.”

The affected families staged an agitation when the additional director general of police (south Bengal,) Supratim Sarkar, visited Dhuliyan.

Madan Ghosh, a resident of Bedbona village in Shamserganj, said, “We faced terror for two days. The mobs torched my house and looted everything. I somehow managed to flee with my wife and children. I am going to Malda.”

Minati Halder, a Dhuliyan resident who took shelter in Malda, said: “I can’t describe what I witnessed. They burnt down everything. The hooligans looted everything from my home.”

Additional director general of police (law and order) Jawed Shamim said two men sustained bullet injuries on Friday when the police were compelled to fire four rounds at Suti. The injured were later identified as Mosaraf Hossain and Hasan Sheikh, a minor.

Another person, Ezaz Ahmed, who was also injured in the firing at Suti on Friday, died in hospital on Saturday.

Samser Nadab, a resident of Shamserganj, sustained a bullet injury on Saturday. His elder brother, Kaiful Nadab, said: “We found him lying on the road. Local people said he was hit when the central forces opened fire.”

Police, however, could not confirm who fired at Nadab.

Nilotpal Pandey, the BSF spokesperson in south Bengal, told the media that members of the force fired a few shots in the air to scare the rioters.

“The situation in Shamserganj was very critical. BSF had to act fast. They fired some shots in the air,” said Pandey.

Kolkata mayor and cabinet minister Firhad Hakim alleged that the BJP was trying to fish in troubled water.

“BJP is trying to fish in troubled water. The chief minister has already announced that the new Waqf law won’t be enforced in Bengal. She will hold a meeting with leaders of the Muslim community and clerics on April 17,” said Hakim.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said Prime Minister Narendra Modi may visit Bengal later this month.

“After that, we will take a rally to the state secretariat,” he said.