The ruling BJP party has urged the West Bengal Governor Dr C V Ananda Bose to intervene in the Murshidabad violence issue. A petition in this regard was also filed at the Supreme Court by Shashank Sekher Jha, requesting for a court-monitored investigation incident by Special Investigation Team.
Meanwhile, ADG (Eastern Command) BSF, Ravi Gandhi, visited Samsherganj of Murshidabad yesterday and held a review meeting with the State DGP Rajeev Kumar and ADG South Bengal Supratim Sarkar. Senior police officers of various districts, including Jangipur were also present in the meeting. ADG said that BSF and police would jointly work to maintain peace and order in the violence-affected areas.
A large number of people from violence-hit areas of Murshidabad have taken shelter in the relief camps at Baisnabnagar in the Malda district.
Saptami Mondol (24) sat on a tarpaulin sheet inside a classroom of a high school in Parlalpur, with her eight-day-old baby in her lap. She is among the 400 men, women and children taking refuge at the school after fleeing their homes, is unsure if she will ever return to her village — located across the Ganga or 60 kilometres by road.
The violence over the new Waqf law has already claimed three lives, including father and son Hargobindo Das (72) and Chandan Das (40), who were dragged out of their home by a mob and killed. While more than 200 arrests have been made and police claim the situation is normalising, those who fled the trouble-torn areas are not so sure.
Speaking to our correspondent Saptami said “We have become refugees in our own land. We may never return; what if they attack us again?”
Inside the classrooms, benches have been removed to make room for bedding, and local villagers and the administration have made arrangements for clothes, food and medicine. The school is guarded by armed policemen and personnel of the Rapid Action Force.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumder visited the school and promised to help those taking shelter there. He said the BJP would appeal to the Calcutta High Court to extend the BSF’s presence in the violence-affected areas.
Last week, Samsherganj, Suti, Jangipur and various areas of Murshidabad district witnessed violence during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
In a similar incidence in the state, Bhangar area of South 24 Parganas district witnessed violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act yesterday. Police personnel were attacked, and vehicles were damaged and set on fire. A mob attacked nine policemen in Kashipur area and set their bikes on fire. Police have arrested eight persons in connection with this incident.
