NEW DELHI: Fresh violence erupted in West Bengal on Monday when supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) and police in South 24 Parganas clashed during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
Violence erupted when police stopped ISF workers from marching to a rally at Kolkata’s Ramlila Maidan, where ISF leader and Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddique was due to speak.
The protestors, many from Bhangar, Minakhan, and Sandeshkhali, were blocked at Bhojerhat on the Basanti Highway. Tensions rose when they tried to break through barricades, sparking violent clashes. Several police vehicles were torched and officers injured. Police used batons to disperse the crowd, leaving at least one ISF supporter with a head injury.
"Some police vehicles were set on fire by the protesters and a few police personnel were injured when the agitators attacked the law enforcers," a senior police officer said.
The violence brought traffic to a standstill, prompting a heavy police deployment. Protesters were eventually cleared from the area.
This comes days after three people were killed in Murshidabad during violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. West Bengal Police arrested 150 individuals and deployed forces in Samserganj, Dhuliyan, Suti, and nearby areas.
BJP MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato urged Union home minister Amit Shah to impose AFSPA in several districts, citing deteriorating security and alleged targeted violence against Hindus. A special Calcutta high court bench ordered immediate deployment of central forces in Murshidabad following the unrest.
'Mamata Banerjee has turned Bengal into another Bangladesh': BJP
Earlier today, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar visited a relief camp in Malda district, where hundreds of displaced families from Murshidabad have sought refuge after fleeing violence during protests over the Wakf Amendment Act. Majumdar, also the Union minister of state for education, visited the makeshift camp at Paralalpur High School in Kaliachak Block 3, where he interacted with the displaced families, many of whom were women and children. Local officials reported that 640 people have taken refuge in Malda, with 550 staying in the school and others in nearby villages.
Majumdar shared that many women were deeply emotional, recounting how their homes were torched, property destroyed, and they received life threats. He alleged that "fundamentalist forces" disguised as protesters were behind the attacks in Dhulian, Murshidabad, which claimed three lives and left several injured.
"Initially, 200-250 families had taken shelter here. Now, due to police pressure to shut down the camp and cover up Mamata Banerjee's failure, only 70-75 families remain. They are still living in fear," Majumdar alleged.
"The situation in Murshidabad could be a precursor to similar unrest elsewhere in the state. Minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury has already issued a warning. Mamata Banerjee has turned Bengal into another Bangladesh," he added.
Majumdar criticised the state government for bias, accusing them of restraining central forces. He also warned that the unrest in Murshidabad could spread to other regions in Bengal.
Violence erupted when police stopped ISF workers from marching to a rally at Kolkata’s Ramlila Maidan, where ISF leader and Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddique was due to speak.
The protestors, many from Bhangar, Minakhan, and Sandeshkhali, were blocked at Bhojerhat on the Basanti Highway. Tensions rose when they tried to break through barricades, sparking violent clashes. Several police vehicles were torched and officers injured. Police used batons to disperse the crowd, leaving at least one ISF supporter with a head injury.
"Some police vehicles were set on fire by the protesters and a few police personnel were injured when the agitators attacked the law enforcers," a senior police officer said.
The violence brought traffic to a standstill, prompting a heavy police deployment. Protesters were eventually cleared from the area.
This comes days after three people were killed in Murshidabad during violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. West Bengal Police arrested 150 individuals and deployed forces in Samserganj, Dhuliyan, Suti, and nearby areas.
BJP MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato urged Union home minister Amit Shah to impose AFSPA in several districts, citing deteriorating security and alleged targeted violence against Hindus. A special Calcutta high court bench ordered immediate deployment of central forces in Murshidabad following the unrest.
'Mamata Banerjee has turned Bengal into another Bangladesh': BJP
Earlier today, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar visited a relief camp in Malda district, where hundreds of displaced families from Murshidabad have sought refuge after fleeing violence during protests over the Wakf Amendment Act. Majumdar, also the Union minister of state for education, visited the makeshift camp at Paralalpur High School in Kaliachak Block 3, where he interacted with the displaced families, many of whom were women and children. Local officials reported that 640 people have taken refuge in Malda, with 550 staying in the school and others in nearby villages.
Majumdar shared that many women were deeply emotional, recounting how their homes were torched, property destroyed, and they received life threats. He alleged that "fundamentalist forces" disguised as protesters were behind the attacks in Dhulian, Murshidabad, which claimed three lives and left several injured.
"Initially, 200-250 families had taken shelter here. Now, due to police pressure to shut down the camp and cover up Mamata Banerjee's failure, only 70-75 families remain. They are still living in fear," Majumdar alleged.
"The situation in Murshidabad could be a precursor to similar unrest elsewhere in the state. Minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury has already issued a warning. Mamata Banerjee has turned Bengal into another Bangladesh," he added.
Majumdar criticised the state government for bias, accusing them of restraining central forces. He also warned that the unrest in Murshidabad could spread to other regions in Bengal.
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