The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday launched a sharp attack on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of deliberately ignoring the victims of Murshidabad violence because of “her hatred for Hindus.”
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi, BJP MP and national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “She hates Hindus.” The BJP leader was answering a question about Banerjee not visiting Murshidabad, where violence broke out during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
“Had such atrocities been carried out against Muslim brothers, Banerjee would have been agitating and camping there,” Patra charged. The BJP leader also criticised the CPI(M), accusing the Left party of distancing itself from two of the victims of the Murshidabad violence — allegedly its workers, as they were Hindus.
“Those who were killed in the violence were communist party workers. Neither the communist party nor Mamata Banerjee owns them. Their only fault is that their names are Hargobind and Chandan,” the BJP leader said.
Murshidabad violence
Violence broke out in West Bengal’s Murshidabad, a Muslim-majority district, on April 11, during a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
The protest turned violent, resulting in two deaths, several injuries, and property damage. Thousands of people fled their homes in search of safety. The protest later spread to other districts, including Malda, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly, where incidents of arson, stone-pelting, and road blockades were reported.
As the situation remains tense, the BJP has intensified its accusations of selective outrage and religious bias against both the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M).
West Bengal BJP chief meets Murshidabad violence victims
Union Minister and West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar on Monday visited the violence-affected areas and met with the victims affected by the Waqf Act protests. After meeting the victims, Majumdar stated that if the Kolkata High Court permitted the National Investigation Agency to conduct an investigation, the government would need to follow the court’s orders.
He also took a jibe at CM Mamata Banerjee for pressurising authorities to send the victims back, questioning where they would go when their homes had been destroyed.
“We stand with the demands of the people. Some people have gone to the court for an NIA inquiry. All our eyes are towards the court now. If the Kolkata High Court permits an NIA investigation, the government will follow suit. Mamata Banerjee is pressuring the authorities to send the victims back, but where would they go? Their homes have been burned and destroyed,” Majumdar said.