As tensions simmer across parts of West Bengal, heavy police deployment has been made in Ward No. 4 under the Siliguri Police Commissionerate to prevent community clashes during the Charak Puja and Gajon festival.
Around eight persons are under the scanner of the police in connection with the attempted murder of a land dealer in Siliguri. Police said they have also detained some persons and interrogated them.
As tensions simmer across parts of West Bengal, heavy police deployment has been made in Ward No. 4 under the Siliguri Police Commissionerate to prevent community clashes during the Charak Puja and Gajon festival.
Simultaneously, in Malda’s Kaliachak area, police have resorted to public announcements via microphones, urging residents not to believe or spread rumours related to recent communal unrest in Murshidabad, where victims have reportedly taken refuge in Parlalpur, situated on the banks of the Ganges in Malda district.
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Police have launched special initiatives to maintain law and order following the communal tensions sparked by ongoing protests against the Amended Waqf Act.
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Significantly, even as the Malda district administration has stepped in to provide essential aid to the victims sheltering in Baisnabnagar, the BJP has established a ‘control room’ in Dakshin Malda to assist those displaced by the violence in Jangipur sub-division of Murshidabad, many of whom have taken refuge in Malda and nearby areas.
Union minister of state for education Sukanta Majumdar personally visited the control room to oversee the situation and guide party leaders and workers. He also visited Parlalpur High School, where he interacted with the victims, distributed aid on behalf of the party, and later travelled to riot-hit Mothabari before returning.
In a notable development, VHP activists and members of its affiliated organisations, particularly women, gathered at various police stations across Siliguri, submitting appeals to halt any protest marches against the amended Waqf act in the interest of maintaining peace and order. Anticipating a protest march on 15–16 April, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has written to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, voicing concern over the potential for unrest.
Meanwhile, a massive protest rally was held today at the Raas Mela Ground in Cooch Behar, where thousands gathered to oppose the amendments to the Waqf act. The protestors emphasised that their movement was aimed at safeguarding the Indian Constitution and was not directed against any particular religion.
Amid ongoing tension in Malda’s Mothabari, local MLA Sabina Yeasmin issued a heartfelt appeal to residents to refrain from violence and not to take the law into their own hands while expressing dissent against the Waqf Act amendments. She particularly urged youth between the ages of 16 and 20 to remain calm during protest rallies.
In Siliguri, police commissioner C Sudhakar visited Ward No. 4 this morning following a fresh outbreak of violence the previous night. The Rapid Action Force was deployed, and he urged citizens to avoid spreading misinformation.
As political leaders stepped in, BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh visited the troubled area to express solidarity with the Charak Puja organisers, while TMC leader and deputy mayor Ranjan Sarkar also made a visit to appeal for peace.
In light of the escalating situation in central Bengal, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has formally requested chief minister Mamata Banerjee to immediately revoke permission granted to the group Noor-e-Mujassam to hold a protest rally in Siliguri on 15 April.
Mr Bista warned that the planned rally by Noor-e-Mujassam could turn violent. “I have credible information that thousands of people from outside Bengal are being mobilised to participate in this event. This group has a history of inciting communal tension in our region. At a rally held on 15 September, 2024, its members used inflammatory language, made anti-national remarks, issued derogatory statements against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and encouraged jihad,” Mr Bista stated.
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