With the ogoing anti-Waqf Bill demonstrations spinning out of control leading to arson, stone-pelting and rampant vandalisation of government properties the Murshidabad district administration on Friday called out the Border Security Forces to restore peace, sources said.
A 16-year-old school student received bullet injuries at Suti town off Behrampore whereas the official vehicle of Farakka Sub-divisional Police Officer and a number of vehicles including two-wheelers and government buses were torched by violent protesters, sources said.
The Murshidabad District Magistrate sent an SoS to the BSF, South Bengal office seeking reinforcement, sources at Behrampore said adding the agitators had gone on rampage fighting pitched battle with the police, pelting stones.
“The police had resorted to bursting tear gas shells and lathi-charge but the crowd has been increasing by the hour,” a senior official at Farakka said adding train services at neighbouring Malda district had been disrupted with about five thousand people squatting on the railway tracks nearly cutting off train connectivity between Kolkata and North Bengal. The authorities however said that they were trying to keep the services going.
“Train services have been affected in the Azimganj-New Farakka section as a group of people were squatting on the railway track between Dhulian Ganga and Nimtita stations... They also damaged the gate,” Eastern Railway CPRO D Dutta said.
The services of a number of trains including Kamakhya–Puri Express, Barharwa–Azimganj Passenger, Sahibganj–Azimganj Passenger, Nabadwip Dham Express, Azimganj–Malda Town Passenger were affected Railway. sources said
Sources said that protesters first blocked the National Highway 12 — connecting the northern and southern parts of the State — at Sajurmor intersection at Suti area and the new Dak Bungalow intersection in Shamsherganj block, demanding the withdrawal of the Waqf Bill. Soon vehicles got stranded at many places, sources said, adding a school boy who was returning from his relatives’ place was caught in the melee and received a bullet injury and had been admitted to the Behrampore Medical College and Hospital. There was no confirmation as yet whether the bullet was fired by the police.
A bevy of policemen including SDPO Farakka were injured in the clash, with the protesters pelting stones and hurling bombs. The situation deteriorated to such an extent that some cops had to take shelter in a nearby mosque to save their lives from the murderous mob. “Bombs were being hurled as frequently as stones being pelted … the police got listless as attacks came from all sides leading them to run for cover like they did at Jangipur town,” a sub-inspector refusing to be identified said.