Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday appealed to the Muslim populace to maintain calm as the Waqf statute would have little impact on her State even as violence erupted in several parts of Murshidabad district where the raging crowd blocked roads, resorted to stone-pelting and set police vehicles on fire. The incidents of violence took place in the sub-divisional town of Jangipur — not far from the residence of former President Pranab Mukherjee — Suti and some other areas where restive crowds ransacked government properties ignoring prohibitive orders under Section 163 (formerly Section 144 of IPC) passed by District Magistrate Rajarshi Mitra.
More than two dozen people were apprehended from Jangipur police said even as violence spilled over to Suti town where locals jammed the State highway.
Additional reinforcement was rushed to Jangipur from Behrampore after the local police failed to contain the crowd and were forced to take shelter inside shoprooms, sources said adding at least five men in uniform were injured in the melee. The police subsequently lobbed teargas shells and sound grenades to disperse the crowd sources said adding however that the situation was comparatively calm on Wednesday. Incidentally parts of northern Murshidabad and Malda districts had witnessed massive violence after the passage of Citizenship Amendment Act with the local angry crowds putting entire trains on fire. Back in Kolkata the Chief Minister appealed to the minorities to maintain calm as “till your Didi is there no one can harm you or no one can take away your property.”
Speaking at a gathering on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti Banerjee said that the Muslims had valid reasons to be upset but assured them that their properties vides the new legislation would remain intact. “I know that the minorities are upset about the Waqf laws, but I ask them to faith in their Didi, till your Didi is their nothing will happen to your property, no one can take them away as the new laws aimed at dividing the people will not have its effect in Bengal,” Banerjee said.
“There are attempts to divide and rule, but I ask them not to divide the population because it will finally divide the nation, unity is strength and division is weakness, if we are divided our economy will crumble, everyone has to live and let live in peace, just like I have a right that no one take away my property similarly I cannot take anyone’s property, I ask the people to maintain calm as sometimes hurried decisions can be counterproductive,” she said. Almost conceding that the Muslims constituted 33 per cent population in Bengal since Independence Banerjee said, “We have a 33 per cent minority population in Bengal since India’s freedom, it is our duty to protect you, some people are politically provoking , but I appeal to you not to get provoked by any vested interest.”
Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Wednesday condemning the violence said that the vested interests should desist from fomenting trouble and that the Government should handle the problem with strong hands.
“The situation where vested interests foment trouble cannot be tolerated and should be curbed. The peaceful passage of Shri Ram Navami festivities show the camaraderie among people of Bengal and the competence of the administration, the political parties, the silent majority, the media and all stakeholders. Any attempts to frustrate that needs to be put down with an iron hand,” a post on his part read.
Elsewhere former Behrampore MP, senior Congress leader wondered where the present TMC MP Yusuf Pathan was when his constituency was burning. “I served Murshidabad for decades and still will continue to do so till my life but I want to ask where is the present MP, is he busy with IPL when Murshidabad is burning,” he said. Bordering Murshidabad district with about 67 per cent Muslim population has three parliamentary constituencies: Murshdiabad, Behrampore and Jangipur.
