Baduria Limps Back to Normalcy, Markets Re-open on Sunny Sunday
An objectionable Facebook post led to violence in the North 24 Parganas district since Monday night.
- Centre snubs Mamata’s remarks, says sent 400 personnel to contain law and order in West Bengal, but the CM returned the aid
- 1 person has been arrested from Sonarpur in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas for allegedly trying to incite communal violence
- 1 more dead in North 24 Parganas’ Communal Violence
- CM Mamata Banerjee breaks silence, blames Centre for riot situation
BJP MLA Asks Hindus to "respond in the same way" as in Gujarat 2002
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA H Raja Singh on Sunday asked Hindus in West Bengal to “respond in the same way” as Hindus in Gujarat did in 2002, The Indian Express reported.
The MLA, in a video on Twitter, can be heard seen saying, “Today, Hindus are not safe in the West Bengal state. Hindus in Bengal should respond to people involved in communal violence as Hindus in Gujarat did. Otherwise, soon Bengal will turn into Bangladesh.” He also asks “Bengal Tigers” to awake and unite in order to protect themselves.
BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma Uses 2002 Riots Photo
On the same day that one person was arrested for allegedly inciting communal violence, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma created a controversy by sharing an image for the 2002 riots to call people for a protest against the “lawlessness and failing value of human life” at Jantar Mantar. Twitterati was prompt in pointing out that the photo used to draw people was not from Bengal, but from 2002, leaving her in an embarrassing position.
When informed about the duplicitous poster that borrowed images from Gujarat riot, instead of apologizing for spreading fake news, Sharma said it was not her own poster.
Life Limping Back to Normalcy
Life returned to normal in riot-hit Baduria town and adjacent areas of North 24 Parganas district on Sunday after communal violence broke out over a Facebook post early this week.
“Everything is normal now in Baduria, Swarupnagar, Deganga and Basirhat. There has been no problem anywhere in the district for the last 36 hours or more. People are trying to resume normal life and we are keeping everything under watch,” a senior police officer said.
Though Internet services remained suspended in and around the area, locals came out to the streets to resume normal life as shops, market places opened on a sunny Sunday.
Centre Snubs Mamata Banerjee
Responding to Mamata Banerjee, after the West Bengal chief minister lashed out against the central government, the Centre on Saturday countered her claims.
According to a Times of India report, home ministry sources said that four companies of the BSF comprising of 400 personnel were sent initially to assist the state police in maintaining law and order in the region.
One Arrested from Sonarpur, West Bengal's South 24 Parganas
A man was arrested from Sonarpur in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district for allegedly trying to incite communal violence, the police said on Saturday evening.
A complaint was filed by a person and subsequently, a Kolkata Police team arrested Chatterjee from his residence, the officer said. A mobile phone and a laptop were also seized from the residence of the accused, he added. A city court has sent the accused to police remand 11 till July, said the officer.
1 More Dead in West Bengal Violence
One more death was reported in the clash between TMC and BJP workers in North Dinajpur according to local reports. But no police confirmation has been received yet, according to a report by ANI.
Mamata Breaks Silence on Basirhat
As West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the Centre, for the situation at riot-hit Basirhat, she said her administration would make a judicial inquiry into the communal violence that unfolded in the North 24 Parganas district’s areas since 3 July, according to a report by ANI. Banerjee also criticised the Centre for “over-deploying” forces in the riot-hit zone.
New SP Appointed to Riot-Hit Area
The West Bengal government on Saturday appointed C Sudharkar Rao as the new Superintendent of Police (SP) of North 24 Parganas, following the riots in Basirhat, while transferring ten IPS officers. SP Bhaskar Mukherjee has been removed from the position.
Three BJP MPs Detained
BJP MPs Meenakshi Lekhi, Om Mathur and Satyapal Singh were detained and taken to Kolkata airport police station on Saturday while they were trying to enter riot-hit Basirhat. They were part of an inquiry team formed by BJP President Amit Shah.
Venkaiah Naidu Calls WB Communal Violence 'Unfortunate'
Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu described the communal violence in Basirhat as “unfortunate” and requested the state government to take effective steps to protect all people - “whether minority or majority”.
Police Official in-Charge of Basirhat Transferred
The police inspector in-charge of Basirhat, Nasim Akhtar, has been transferred by the administration. The Duttapukur police station in-charge, Biswajit Bandopadhyay, was made in-charge of Basirhat in place of Akhtar.
Inspector of police (UB) of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, Surendra Kumar Singh, was given the charge of Duttapukur police station.
TMC MLA Deependu Biswas Removed as Party In-Charge of Basirhat
After violence in Basirhat, TMC MLA Deependu Biswas has been removed as the party in-charge of the area.
BJP to Organise Rally to 'Condemn' Role of TMC Govt
State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his party would organise a rally in Kolkata on Saturday to “condemn” the role of the state government.
Roopa Ganguly and 19 Others Detained
BJP MP Roopa Ganguly had been detained along with 19 others on their way to riot-hit Baduria, police said. They were detained by the police at Michael Nagar near Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata.
They were subsequently brought to the airport police station.
Congress, BJP, Left Delegations Stopped On Their Way to Basirhat
Ignoring Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's appeal to all parties not to visit the areas to avoid further trouble, teams of the Left, Congress and BJP attempted to do so. However, police stopped them from entering.
A delegation of Congress leaders led by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was stopped at Barasat on their way to Basirhat.
CPI (M) MP Mohammed Salim who was leading a Left delegation was stopped 50 kms before Basirhat where heavy security forces was deployed.
Regarding the circumstances, a senior district official said:
Teenager Behind Social Media Post Sent to Jail
The teenager behind the controversial social media post that led to violence in North 24 Parganas district was produced in court and sent to Basirhat jail earlier on Thursday, reported ANI.
Tripura Governor Says TMC Govt Suppressing Info
Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy on Thursday accused the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal of suppressing information on communal riots in Baduria and said his counterpart in West Bengal KN Tripathi is well within his rights to ask questions to the state administration.
The remarks come in the backdrop of the spat between West Bengal Chief MInister Mamata Banerjee and Tripathi over the communal clashes in the Baduria of North 24 Parganas. Banerjee had accused the Governor of acting like “a BJP block president” and “threatening” her.
Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, students wing of the ruling TMC, showed black flags to Roy and demanded removal of Tripathi from the post of Bengal Governor.
WB Governor Happy With Steps Being Taken to Restore Peace
West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi on Thursday expressed satisfaction over the steps being taken to restore peace in the riot-hit areas of North 24 Parganas district.
Asked to comment on BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha remarks in which he termed Tripathi as “a soldier of Modi brigade”, Tripathi said, "I am what I am. I don’t care what others say.”
Sinha comments prompted TMC to hit back, saying “the cat is out of the bag.”
West Bengal Government Asserts Situation Under Control
Tension in West Bengal's Basirhat area on Thursday forced the police to lob tear gas shells and resort to baton charge. The West Bengal government decided to ban some organisations for allegedly instigating people.
However, the state government asserted that the situation was under control.
“There may be some reports of small incidents, but the situation is under control," a senior official at the state secretariat asserted.
On whether a BJP delegation, which is planning to visit Baduria on Friday, will be allowed to enter the area, a senior state government official said:
The official said four companies of paramilitary forces (around 400 personnel) already present in Baduria are “enough” to maintain law and order situation there.
Shops and markets reopened, bus services resumed and local residents started coming out of their homes.
However, Internet services continued to be disrupted and paramilitary forces and police remained posted in the troubled areas.
"Everything is back to normal. There are no reports of any problem from anywhere in Baduria. We are keeping a strict vigil so that nothing untoward happens. Till then police postings will continue here," an official said.
1 Man Dead, 21 Injured
Fresh violence erupted in West Bengal’s Baduria in the state’s North 24 Parganas district on Thursday, following the imposition of Section 144 after two communities clashed allegedly over a derogatory Facebook post.
A 45-year-old man Kartik Ghosh, who was injured in the riots and brought to Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital on Tuesday in a critical condition, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday, according to a report by NDTV. The report also claims that 21 people in total have been wounded in the communal violence since the night of 3 July and that eight of those injured are now being treated at the RG Kar hospital.
The hospital has beefed up its security as many of the injured were shifted here from Basirhat, and moreover, BJP leader Locket Chatterjee claimed that the deceased, Kartik Ghosh, was an RSS worker, said the NDTV report.
BJP Chief Amit Shah Forms an Inquiry Panel
The BJP’s national president Amit Shah formed a panel comprising MPs Om Prakash Mathur, Satyapal Singh, Meenakshi Lekhi, to visit Basirhat to inquire into the communal violence, according to a report by PTI.
While some semblance of normalcy was reported, with some locals stepping out of their homes, internet services continued to be disrupted and paramilitary forces and police remained posted in the troubled area.
'Peacekeeping Force' to Be Deployed
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to raise a peacekeeping force to maintain sectarian harmony in the state after accusing the BJP of “spreading rumours using social media” about the violence.
Four companies of BSF’s South Bengal Frontier were rushed to Baduria and adjoining areas of Basirhat, Swarupnagar and Deganga to assist the local administration in controlling the situation on Tuesday after clashes broke out.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday spoke to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the prevailing situation.
The Home Ministry has also sought a detailed report from the state government on the violence in the district and the steps taken to restore normalcy.
Violence erupted between two communities at Baduria in Basirhat over the Facebook post, following which a Class X student was arrested.
Besides putting up road blockades at several places, the mob had attacked members of another community and destroyed many shops.
The Raj Bhavan voiced surprise over Banerjee’s “attitude and language”, and said, “the Hon'ble Governor cannot remain a mute spectator to the affairs in the state”.
Tripathi has even written to President Pranab Mukherjee giving details about the phone conversation between him and the CM.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI, HT)
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