Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Tuesday, 06 May 2025
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday continued her two-day visit to riot-hit areas in Murshidabad, offering government aid and emotional support to families affected by recent communal clashes and BSF firing incidents.
Her visit came in the aftermath of violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act that erupted in places like Dhuliyan and Samsherganj in mid-April, claiming at least three lives.
In Dhuliyan’s Samsherganj area which is one of the worst affected, the chief minister walked through the bylanes, stopping to speak with local residents and listen to their concerns.
Flanked by the chief secretary and the district magistrate, she handed over cheques and sewing machines to families who had lost livelihoods in the violence.
Banerjee alleged that the riots were “pre-planned” and orchestrated by outsiders. “People are not involved in riots. Rioters are being brought to Bengal from outside,” she told the gathering, urging locals not to be swayed by provocations from “the BJP or religious fundamentalists”.
Later in Suti, the chief minister addressed a packed public meeting, stressing peace and unity. She recalled how even during the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, Murshidabad remained calm. “Let that spirit return,” she said.
Banerjee also clarified that the Waqf (Amendment) Act would not be implemented in West Bengal and urged protesters not to resort to violence in its name. “I will be the biggest enemy of those who try to spark violence under this pretext,” she warned.
The chief minister said around 400 families in Dhuliyan had received aid from the government.
She personally handed over cheques of Rs 1.2 lakh each to 280 families and assured that those facing major losses would get term loans. Commissions for Scheduled Castes, OBCs and minorities would also step in to support their respective communities, she said.
In the neighbouring Nadia district, she met the grieving family of Jhontu Ali Sheikh, who died in a gun battle between security forces and terrorists during a search operation in Jammu & Kashmir's Udhampur area last month.
His wife, son, and daughter were offered government jobs and handed financial aid. Overcome with emotion, the widow wept as Banerjee consoled her.
