Murshidabad — In the aftermath of violent clashes during protests against the Waqf Amendment Act in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has held both the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responsible for the outbreak of communal tension, reported the Times of India.
Addressing reporters, CPI(M) West Bengal secretary Mohammed Salim said, “One group is for rioting, another against it. In Murshidabad, BJP and TMC are instigating riots together, while the Left Front and Congress are trying to control the situation. The violence was incited by Humayun Kabir and Karthik Maharaj.”
Salim alleged that two CPI(M) sympathisers—Haragobinda Das (72) and his son Chandan Das (40)—were hacked to death in Samserganj while attempting to stop the violence. “They gave their lives not for religion, but for peace,” Salim remarked.
According to a post on the CPI(M)’s official Facebook page, the Das family and local villagers informed Salim that no police personnel were present in the area during the attack. The father and son were reportedly trying to prevent rioters from looting when they were brutally killed.
However, protest leaders told Maktoob that the murders of the Das duo were unrelated to the Waqf protests, although they condemned the killings unequivocally.
Meanwhile, the BJP has launched a campaign alleging that Hindus are being targeted in the state. Salim countered by accusing BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari of being the “mastermind” behind the violence and demanded his immediate arrest.
The CPI(M) leader also visited Suti, where 21-year-old Ijaz Momin was killed in police firing during a protest at Sajur More on Friday. Momin died at Murshidabad Medical College on Saturday evening. Three others—Golam Muddin Sheikh, Hasan Sheikh, and an unidentified man—were also injured and admitted to Jangipur Hospital.
Since Friday, clashes have left over a dozen protesters and 15 police personnel injured. Authorities have arrested 118 individuals. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged for calm and reassured citizens that the Waqf law would not be implemented in Bengal. In response to the unrest, the Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of central forces in the district until Thursday.
