Communal violence gripped parts of 24 Parganas in West Bengal. A class XI student had posted derogatory religious imagery on his Facebook page. As a result, a mob took to the streets. Curfew had been imposed and para-military forces have been deployed. The usual blame game has begun between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP which rules at the Centre. There is no joint effort to contain violence in the area. Instead, mutual recriminations are flying thick and fast. State governor Keshari Nath Tripathi spoke following a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a team of BJP and RSS representatives. The discussions were far from pleasant. The Chief Minister in anger called a press conference and accused the governor of humiliating her. She also said that the governor was in cahoots with the BJP. The BJP wants President’s rule in West Bengal. The Trinamool Congress wants the removal of the governor. A BJP delegation will visit the area in 24 Parganas which was afflicted by communal violence and report to party president, Amit Shah. Obviously, the political parties are trying to make political capital out of the unfortunate incident.
It is a far cry from the tradition of harmony in West Bengal. The Congress and the Communist Party worked together during the Calcutta killing and the partition. West Bengal has been noted for communal peace since 1947. The BJP cadres are no doubt trying to foment religious strife. Recently, there has been a rash of communal incidents in West Bengal which threaten the state’s social fabric.