Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Apr 18: A significant discrepancy has emerged between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's assertions regarding the recent communal violence in Murshidabad and the findings of the state police, according to claims made by BJP's Amit Malviya. The BJP's IT cell chief, who also serves as the party's central observer for West Bengal, alleges that police reports, under the direct purview of the Chief Minister, directly contradict her "outsider" theory.
Malviya asserted via his official X account that "The West Bengal Police has effectively debunked Home Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claims regarding the recent communal violence in Murshidabad. In its official report, the police confirmed that the mob involved in the deadly violence at Sajur More on April 11 comprised 'local youths' armed with 'deadly weapons', including bombs, and had even 'fired on the police'." He further stated that intelligence reports had already indicated a planned "agitational program" by "some local people" following Jumma prayers, directly opposing the CM's suggestion of external instigation.
These claims follow recent acknowledgments by state police officials that potential intelligence failures regarding the escalation of protests into violence are under review. Consequently, the in-charges of Samserganj and Suti police stations, areas severely impacted by the unrest, have been replaced.
Malviya also detailed the escalating violence in Dhuliyan, Murshidabad, where mobs reportedly blocked the National Highway, engaged in stone and brick pelting, vandalized public and private property, and carried out looting and arson targeting shops, temples, and residences. "On April 12, unrest continued as an 'agitated mob' attempted to vandalise homes belonging to Hindu families in Ghoshpara, under the jurisdiction of the Samsherganj Police Station," he added.
Ghoshpara, a small Hindu enclave within the predominantly minority-populated Samserganj area, became a focal point of the continued unrest. These conflicting narratives between the state police reports and the Chief Minister's claims have fueled political tensions and raised questions about the root causes of the violence.