Daijiworld Media Network- Kolkata
Kolkata, Apr 19: In a stern indictment of the West Bengal administration, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo on Friday said the recent communal violence in Murshidabad was a clear sign of administrative failure, accusing the state government of failing in its primary duty to protect its citizens.
Kanoongo, while speaking to IANS, expressed grave concern over the targeted violence against Hindu families in the region, following a tragic incident in Jafrabad, where a father and son were found brutally stabbed to death inside their home on April 15.
“Reports suggest that Hindu families are being targeted. It is the complete failure of state administration,” Kanoongo asserted.
He confirmed that a high-level NHRC team, which includes a senior IPS officer of Director General rank, has been dispatched to Murshidabad district to assess the on-ground situation. The move comes in response to directives from the Calcutta High Court, which is actively monitoring the situation following the communal unrest allegedly linked to protests against the Waqf Amendment Act.
According to reports, the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, which became law earlier this month after receiving the President’s assent, has triggered tensions in parts of the state, particularly in Samserganj — one of the most affected areas.
Kanoongo stated that the NHRC team would visit rehabilitation camps and interact with families who have reportedly been forced to flee their homes out of fear. These firsthand accounts will be documented in a comprehensive report to be submitted to the High Court.
“If the state government can’t protect its own citizens, and if people are being targeted on religious grounds, that’s not just a lapse—it’s a collapse of administrative responsibility,” said Kanoongo, choosing not to delve into political commentary but making his stance unmistakably clear.
The Calcutta High Court, taking serious note of the developments, has ordered deployment of Central forces in the affected areas and has asked both the Central and state governments to furnish detailed reports.
As tensions simmer, the NHRC’s intervention brings a spotlight on governance, communal harmony, and constitutional duty—elements now under question in Bengal’s troubled district.