Murshidabad violence: Mamata blames Centre, BSF

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday, accused the Union government of being responsible for the recent tension and violence in the minority-dominated Murshidabad district during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

She also accused the Border Security Force (BSF) of their alleged ‘failure’ in preventing miscreants from neighbouring Bangladesh from reportedly entering the Indian territory and creating violence in Murshidabad.

“I saw a video related to the National Investigative Agency (NIA), which said that a report of the Union Home Ministry has claimed the involvement of Bangladeshi miscreants behind the chaos in Murshidabad. If that is true, who will take that responsibility? Who is responsible for preventing illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators from entering the Indian side? Whose instructions do BSF follow? BSF operates under the instruction of the Union Home Ministry. So what is our fault? Why did the BSF allow the illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators to enter?” the Chief Minister questioned while addressing a meeting with the imams, muezzins, and religious leaders from the Muslim community in the state. The meeting has been reportedly convened to prepare the blueprint on how to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The Chief Minister also said the violence in Murshidabad was a pre-planned one. “There was enough provocation for creating violence. Had Trinamool Congress been behind the conspiracy, the houses of the party MP and the legislator would not have been attacked. I have not come here to make any provocative statement. I have come here to spread the message of peace,” the Chief Minister said. She also claimed that the BJP, through the help of agencies, is trying to rope in outsiders in West Bengal to create tension here.

“They had plans to create a riot-like situation on the occasion of Ram Navami. But they failed. I thank the people of West Bengal for that. Now, they are trying to create tension over the Waqf Act. We have to resist that,” the Chief Minister said.

She also clarified that the meeting on Wednesday was not convened by her but by the Imams. “I have not convened the meeting. The Imams invited me, and I came,” she said.

The BJP on Wednesday alleged that Hindus are victims of targeted attacks in West Bengal and that police gave rioters a “free” rein, as it hit out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The state has witnessed incidents of violence following protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, leading to the migration of riots-hit people, especially in Murshidabad district. BJP leader Ravi Shankara Prasad assailed Banerjee, asking if her government has become completely insensitive to basic human values.

Police have given free rein to rioters, he alleged, adding the victims are apprehensive that they will be attacked again once the central forces deployed on the directions of the Calcutta High Court leave. “How low will you (Banerjee) stoop for vote bank... It is unacceptable,” he said, and cited the “Maa, Mati, Manush” slogan of the Trinamool Congress leader to claim that she is worried about neither Maa (mothers) or Manush (people). Prasad claimed that the situation in the state is a signal that the days of her government are numbered, and that the BJP will continue to fight for people.

Criticising Banerjee over her strident stand against the Waqf law and the assertion the she will now allow it to be implemented in the state, he asked if she had a problem if women and pasmanda Muslims were being given their due.