West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim on Monday made a contentious statement in the face of widespread protests against the new Waqf legislation, claiming that those fleeing violence-hit areas were simply "migrating within Bengal" and not leaving the state.
The Mayor of Kolkata as well as the Minister, Hakim, asserted that "everything is alright" and police were acting against those behind the violence in Murshidabad.
"People are shifting within Bengal, not escaping the state. The government is doing everything to bring back normalcy. The violence is regrettable, and police are trying to identify the culprits," Hakim said to news agency PTI.
BJP Leader Slams Government's Handling of Murshidabad Violence
Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress for fuelling the violence in the state. Adhikari said on Sunday that over 400 Hindus were driven out of their homes in Dhulian, Murshidabad, after communal violence broke out. He implied that the Trinamool Congress' "appeasement politics" had "emboldened radical elements."
"Over 400 Hindus of Dhulian, Murshidabad, were compelled to migrate across the river and take refuge at Par Lalpur High School, Deonapur-Sovapur GP, Baisnabnagar, Malda, due to fear of religiously prejudiced bigots," Adhikari wrote on X.
Calcutta High Court Questions State's Response to Unrest
A special division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Saturday showed concern over the state's response to the recent communal violence in Murshidabad being insufficient. The observations of the court indicated that better measures were required to contain the situation.
BJP Protests in Kolkata Amid Violence and SSC Recruitment Scandal
As a reaction to the violence and other problems, the Bengal BJP conducted a protest march from College Street to Esplanade in Kolkata. The protest was not just against the communal violence in Murshidabad but also against the loss of teaching and other positions in state government schools as a result of the Supreme Court judgment on the SSC recruitment scam.
Authorities Work to Restore Normalcy in Murshidabad
On the ground, things in Murshidabad have begun to stabilize. The BSF (Border Security Force) has been cooperating with local police to reestablish order, and further support has been provided by the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) deployed in the region. As per Ravi Kumar Gandhi, ADG Eastern Command BSF, "The situation is becoming normal now. Since last Friday, we, the BSF, have been coordinating closely with the local police and doing whatever is necessary to make the situation normal. Now the CRPF has also arrived. Yesterday, the situation was comparatively peaceful, and wherever we are getting any input about any tension or disturbance, we are taking appropriate action. So I am very confident that very soon the situation will become normal and we are coordinating closely with the local police and other sister agencies," Gandhi said to ANI.
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