Union home minister Amit Shah and chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday got involved in a war of words over the transfer of dozens of officials across Bengal by the Election Commission, in the backdrop of violence in Murshidabad’s Jangipur during Ram Navami celebrations on Friday.

While Mamata claimed that Friday’s violence was a result of the removal of officers from her government, Shah asserted that Bengal witnessed comparatively less violence this year because the EC had removed officers considered close to Mamata.

“Ram Navami processions are carried out by our boys as well. They don’t stir riots. I don’t know why the administration is not taking action. Please don’t ask me. Everything (administrative control) has been taken away from me. Officers have been appointed according to their own preferences. They have selectively appointed BJP-affiliated officers. No matter what they do, we will come to power in Bengal,” said Mamata while addressing a poll campaign rally in Raniganj, West Burdwan, on Saturday.

“Yesterday (on Saturday), you (BJP) sparked riots in Raghunathganj (Jangipur). Shops were vandalised and looted. Who gave you the right to trigger riots in Raghunathganj? Who gave you the right to vandalise shops? We will take account of everything and no one will be spared,”
she said.

On Friday afternoon, a Ram Navami procession was taken out in Jangipur town. While passing through the town at around 4.15 pm, during prayers at a local mosque, participants in the rally allegedly played music and danced in front of the mosque, which led to a heated exchange between two groups. Then, some from the rally allegedly vandalised and set fire to around 40 shops owned by Muslims at Phultala More near Jangipur Hospital. Many of those affected alleged that despite the site being just 500 metres away from the Raghunathganj police station, cops and central forces initially failed to control the situation. The police resorted to a lathicharge “much later” to disperse the mob. As tensions escalated, Murshidabad Range DIG Ajit Kumar Yadav reached the spot at night to keep watch on the situation.

Shah, releasing the chargesheet against the Mamata Banerjee government in Calcutta on Saturday, claimed that incidents of violence were fewer this year as the Election Commission had removed officers deemed close to Mamata.

“This time, there has been comparatively less violence because the Election Commission transferred officers favoured by Mamata Banerjee,” Shah said, adding that despite provocations, incidents of violence were fewer compared to previous years.

Asked about Trinamool allegations that the removal of officers, including the DGP and chief secretary, led to the Murshidabad violence, Shah referred to the post-poll violence of 2021.

“After 2021, when violence took place, whose DGP was in charge then? BJP workers were hunted down and killed. Around 25,000 people took shelter in Jharkhand. Do you (Mamata) have any answer for that? Even this time, despite a lot of provocation, violence has been less,” Shah said.

Shah said that the EC routinely transfers officers during elections to ensure free and fair polls, but the issue is more prominent in Bengal as many officers become “close” to Mamata and her party.

Normality largely returned to Jangipur market on Saturday with the intervention of the police, civil administration and political leaders.

The police arrested 30 persons, including local RSS leader Kingshuk Sarkar, on charges of vandalism and arson. Twenty-one people were injured in the incident, of whom three have been admitted to the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital and 18 to the Jangipur Subdivisional Hospital.

The accused were produced in the Jangipur SCJM court on Saturday. The magistrate ordered judicial custody for them till April 10. No one was remanded to police custody. Asked why, court sources said that the police did not seek such custody.

On Saturday, CPM district committee secretary Jamir Molla, Trinamool Congress Jangipur president and MP Khalilur Rahman, and minister of state for power Janab Akhruzzaman visited the hospital to meet the injured.