KOLKATA, April 16: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday termed the recent communal violence in Murshidabad as “pre-planned”, accusing a section of the BSF, central agencies under the MHA, and the BJP of orchestrating tension by allegedly facilitating outsiders and enabling cross-border influx from Bangladesh.
Addressing a meeting with Muslim religious leaders, Banerjee urged PM Narendra Modi not to implement the “atrocious” Waqf (Amendment) Act, warning that it would divide the country, and requested him to rein in Union Home Minister Amit Shah, whom she accused of “harming the nation most for his own political agenda”.
The TMC supremo claimed that despite the volatile situation in Bangladesh, the Centre rushed through the Waqf (Amendment) Act and allowed cross-border infiltration, both of which, she alleged, contributed to the unrest in Bengal.
Banerjee alleged that a section of the BSF and certain central agencies under the Home Ministry played a “role in facilitating the violence” and ordered a probe into the role of the border force.
She announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the deceased and directed the chief secretary to initiate an inquiry into the BSF’s actions.
Launching a blistering attack on Shah, Banerjee accused him of misusing central agencies and using propaganda to tarnish Bengal’s image. Referring to the clashes that broke out during protests in Murshidabad, the CM accused BJP-backed outsiders had entered the state to instigate violence.
“Why were BJP goons from outside allowed to come and create chaos before fleeing the scene? Accountability must be fixed. They want to polarise and divide Hindus and Muslims. The BJP wants violence on the streets so that my government is destabilised. They want their jumla government. Don’t divide the country, unite it instead,” she said.
Banerjee last week had announced that the Waqf Amendment Act won’t be implemented in Bengal. (PTI)
