As chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited Murshidabad on Monday, the BJP launched a sharp attack on the ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC), urging the party to restrain its senior leaders Siddiqullah Chowdhury and Humayun Kabir from making provocative statements that could inflame communal tensions.
BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya alleged that both Chowdhury and Kabir were directly responsible for inciting the unrest that recently gripped Murshidabad and parts of Shamsherganj. “The current state of Murshidabad is a consequence of inflammatory speeches by these leaders,” Bhattacharya said. “They are entirely to blame for the breakdown of peace and the unleashing of criminal violence. The TMC has lost all control and discipline. Their leaders are making reckless remarks without any awareness of the damage they cause.” According to Bhattacharya, the unrest has already led to the deaths of three individuals and large-scale destruction of public and private properties. He questioned why Miss Banerjee had not acted earlier to control her party colleagues.
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“Had she reined them in just days ago, three lives could have been saved,” he said. Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari too announced that he would soon write to Union home minister Amit Shah requesting the permanent deployment of Central forces such as the BSF and CRPF in sensitive areas of Murshidabad. “The chief minister’s visit is a PR stunt,” Adhikari said, adding, “Around 4,000 police personnel have been deployed just to shield her from protests. She met only selected individuals, not the ones truly suffering.”
Meanwhile, fresh controversy erupted over remarks made by BJP MP from Bishnupur, Soumitra Khan, who urged Hindu residents in Bankura not to rent or sell property to non-Sanatani individuals. Addressing a protest against what he termed as the “infiltration” of Rohingyas and Pakistanis, Khan said: “You think the house you build is yours? After you die and your children move to other states for work, the Rohingyas will take over.”