Mamata blames Shah, BSF for unrest

Alleging that the violence over the Waqf law was “planned”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed there was a conspiracy by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the BSF to allow the entry of Bangladeshi miscreants to fuel unrest in the state.

“I would request the PM to keep a check on Shah. He is harming the country to serve his political interests. Why is he (Shah) in such a hurry? He will never become the PM, and what will he do once PM Modi leaves? The PM must see how his Home Minister is misusing central agencies and control him,” Banerjee said, while addressing a meeting of clerics at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium.

This is not the first time that Banerjee has targeted Shah, while sparing Modi. In 2022, she had said that she didn’t believe that the PM was behind the misuse of investigative agencies as the CBI and the ED were controlled by Shah.

She said that she had come across news quoting Home Ministry sources, who claimed the role of elements from across the border in Murshidabad violence. “Is it not the duty of the BSF – which is under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) — to guard the border? The Central Government can’t evade responsibility on this issue as the state government does not guard the international border,” she said.

Three persons died and several injured as Murshidabad district witnessed widespread violence during protests over the passage of the Waqf law. Among the deceased were a father-son duo, who were hacked to death by a mob; while the third person had died of a gunshot wound.

Banerjee blamed the BSF for the death of the youth, saying the chief secretary had been asked to probe the firing by the BSF. She also announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

Banerjee also clarified that the affected areas — Dhulian and Shamsherganj — fall under the Malda Dakshin Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by Congress MP Isha Khan Chowdhury.

“The Congress should have been more proactive in those areas. If the TMC was behind the violence, why were the homes of three of our MLAs attacked?” she asked.

She advised the Muslim religious leaders to directly approach President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi to express their concerns about the Waqf Amendment Act. She also appealed to the INDIA bloc parties to unitedly fight against the new Waqf Act, saying it was “anti-federal” as it would interfere in areas that were within the state government’s jurisdiction.

NCW panel to probe ‘molestation’ plaints

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has constituted an inquiry committee to investigate alleged molestation and displacement of women during the recent communal violence in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and will visit the affected areas to assess the situation and meet victims, said an official statement by the NCW. — PTI

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