Thursday, 22 May 2025
Thursday, 22 May 2025
The BJP has attacked chief minister Mamata Banerjee accusing her of politicising Murshidabad violence and targeting the Hindu community to protect her political interests, hours after Banerjee accused the BJP and RSS of running a “vicious false campaign” in the state.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that Banerjee was misusing her position and accused her of instigating hatred against the Sangh Parivar.
“In a shameless spate of events, the hypocrisy of the Chief Minister of West Bengal is getting even more unraveled. She is misusing her official position and in garb of issuing a so-called 'Peace Message' (mis)using her letterhead. She is spewing venom, hatred while doing vote bank politics,” Adhikari said.
“In her so-called 'Peace Message' she is openly trying to instigate the public at large against BJP, RSS and the Sangh Parivar. She is miserably trying to spread a false narrative by blaming the Sangh Parivar for the ethnic cleansing of Hindus, which is the most absurd & 'contradictory allegation' ever made, as even a kid knows that the Sangh Parivar is the biggest backer & defender of the Hindu Community,” he added.
Adhikari also pointed to the chief minister’s own admission that some perpetrators had come from outside the state. “This is of very serious concern and in view of her unequivocal admission the Union Government should direct the NIA probe,” he said.
Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya said, “Using her official letterhead as the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee — who is expected to serve all citizens impartially — is instead blaming the principal opposition party and a non-political organisation for her administration’s failures. This, despite her own police force debunking her narrative that the anti-Hindu violence in Murshidabad was incited by external elements.”
“She has previously accused Union home minister Amit Shah without evidence or restraint. Her allegations against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh follow a similar pattern: frequent, unsubstantiated, and politically motivated,” Malviya added. “It seems that whenever her political standing is under threat, she resorts to targeting the Hindu community. Accountability is long overdue — Mamata Banerjee must step down.”
Union minister Sukanta Majumdar said: “We also want peace, but how will it be established? Every time there is a riot or violence, two Hindus are killed. Hindu women will be offered to convert to Islam. Is this how peace will be established?”
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "The definition of riots is different. Here, the protestors clashed with police. Police did not have an iota of an idea about such a big incident. It has exposed the functioning of the state police. If BJP and RSS gain ground in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee is to be thanked. Before Mamata Banerjee, BJP and RSS had no power in the state."
Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav, supported Mamata and said, “Action is being taken in West Bengal, investigation is going on. Many people have also been arrested. If anyone is behind instigating riots, it is always the BJP. The BJP people want to create such disputes in the society so that they can take political advantage.”
“BJP and its allies have suddenly become very aggressive in West Bengal. These allies include RSS. I have not taken the RSS's name earlier, but I am being forced now to identify them. Together, they all have initiated a vicious false campaign in the state,” Banerjee wrote Saturday in the letter issued on her official letterhead.
The National Commission for Women chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, who visited the violence-affected areas, described the situation on the ground as “unbearable”. “I visited Malda and Murshidabad. A lot of violence took place there. The way people have been beaten up there is unbearable. Those women were in great pain. They don't deserve what they suffered. If we stand in their shoes, only then can we understand their pain,” she said.
“Wherever I was going and talking to women, their anger would shake us. They have seen their dreams shattered, and they have lost everything. All they would ask was what was their fault. Can you imagine a woman who has given birth to a child just 4 days ago, and she has to run to protect the newborn? Instead of celebrating the occasion, they were forced to leave their homes. I have seen many such incidents there. We will make all efforts for the rehabilitation of the victims and accordingly make recommendations (to the West Bengal government).” Rahatkar said.
On Saturday, Ziaul Sheikh, one of the prime accused in the murder of a man and his son in Jafrabad, was arrested from Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district. According to police, he had instigated a mob on April 12 to attack the house of Haragobindo Das, leading to the deaths of Das and his son Chandan.
“This person is one of the prime accused who had conspired and instigated a mob to carry out vandalism at the residence of the deceased and killed Haragobindo Das and his son Chandan Das on April 12,” a senior officer said.
CCTV footage and mobile tower data are among the evidence police say they have to establish Sheikh’s presence at the crime scene. With his arrest, four people have now been held in the case. The earlier arrests include Kalu Nadar and his brother Dildar, as well as Inzmam Ul Haque.
“We have lodged over 100 FIRs in the Murshidabad violence cases. We have so far arrested 276 people in these cases,” the officer said.
At least three people were killed in connection with the violence, which reportedly broke out during protests over amendments to the Waqf Act.
