West Bengal Violence: No Major Incident in Last 36 Hours: Police, Petition Filed in SC for Court-Monitored Probe

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Apr 14: Even as the police claimed that there was no fresh major incident of violence sparked off from anti-Waqf Act protest in the last 36 hours in Murshidabad district, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Monday seeking a court-monitored probe into the violence by a special team in West Bengal as the ruling Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of creating turmoil in the state by uploading fake photographs of violent incidents in other places on different occasions claiming the same to be the incidents of Murshidabad.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim said there had been no major incident of violence in Murshidabad district in the past 36 hours adding that the process of return of people who fled their homes in the violence-affected areas last week had started. “Our main priority is that normal life is restored. There has been no incident in the past 36 hours,” he told journalists.

He also added that more FIRs have been registered and the number of arrests have crossed 200. The police officer said about 100 to 200 families had fled by crossing the river and taken shelter in a school at Baishnabnagar in adjoining Malda district. The political parties of the Opposition, particularly the BJP alleged that about 400 people from Murshidabad had to flee from their homes to escape violence.

The TMC leadership accused the BJP of using fake photographs to inflame communal tensions in Murshidabad. Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh gave specific examples and pointed out that photographs of violence at other places in the country have been used by BJP leaders on social media.

“The BJP is spreading disinformation and attributing some photos to the Murshidabad unrest, whereas the reality is far from it. For instance, they are using photos from anti-CAA protests in Lucknow, as those of Murshidabad. Another photo is from Jalandhar, where a house was on fire,” Mr Ghosh said. The Trinamool leader also alleged that BJP leaders like Sukanta Majumdar and Arjun Singh were threatening violence.

“The Bengal government is clear that no one will be allowed to take law into their hands and violence will be met with strict punishment, irrespective of the community or religious identity of the perpetrators,” Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose said.

In Supreme Court, a top court lawyer – Shashank Shekhar Jha – has asked for a special team to investigate the violence and the deaths and for the Supreme Court to supervise this investigation. The Supreme Court should also take steps to save lives and prevent further violence, he said. Central forces, particularly the Border Security Force, have already been deployed in affected-areas in Murshidabad at the behest of the Calcutta High Court.

The violence also triggered a political row with the TMC and the BJP raising accusing fingers against each other ahead of the next year’s state Assembly elections. Mr Kunal Ghosh blamed the violence on a conspiracy by a central agency and the BSF. “We are receiving inputs… there was a larger conspiracy. A section of a central agency, a section of BSF, and two-three other political parties were involved…” he claimed. Early reports had claimed that the person killed in firing in Jangipur was fired by the BSF.

The allegation drew a sharp response from the BJP, for whom Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition, declared, “The Trinamool Congress is a dangerous, anti-national and jihadi-controlled party. We want an NIA probe into the Murshidabad riots.”

Mr Adhikari also demanded that the 2026 Assembly elections must be conducted under President’s rule, alleging a complete breakdown of law and order in the state following the Murshidabad violence. He said the violence highlighted the State government’s inability to protect citizens and maintain peace. He claimed the ruling dispensation remained a “mute spectator” as mobs went on a rampage.

“Wherever Hindus are in the minority, they are stopped from voting. Police act like cadres of the ruling party. For free and fair elections, the Assembly polls must be held under President’s rule,” Mr Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, told reporters in Kolkata.

Alleging that “jihadist elements” were behind the recent violence, Mr Adhikari said, “These groups are allowed to run amok. We are ready to take them on, but there must be a level-playing field. The Election Commission must consider recommending President’s rule in the State before the elections.”

Meanwhile, the Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Monday criticised West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for refusing to implement the Waqf law in her state.

During an event organised to pay tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, the law minister said it was “not right” for the West Bengal CM to make remarks against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which had been passed by parliament. Meghwal also noted that Ms Banerjee had made similar remarks about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act but implemented it in the state later.

He said, “She made a similar statement during CAA. But the CAA was implemented in Bengal. It is a law enacted by Parliament that is implemented pan-India. If there is a difficulty during its implementation, suggestions can be made during the framing of rules.” Mamata Banerjee in a post on X had stated that she would not let “divide and rule” take place in Bengal and would resist the Waqf law.

She also said, “Some people will provoke you to assemble and launch a movement. I will appeal to all of you not to do it. Please remember when Didi (Banerjee) is here, she will protect you and your property. Let us have trust in each other.”

Police have arrested 150 people till Saturday night in connection with the violence. People also fled the violence in the district and crossed the river Bhagirathi to seek shelter in Malda. Prohibitory orders under section 163 of the BNS have been imposed in many parts of the district, and the internet has been suspended.

The local administration has provided shelter and food to those who fled to Malda crossing the river, housed them in schools and set up volunteer teams to assist those arriving by boats. Reacting to BJP’s allegations, senior TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim said, “People are relocating within Bengal, not fleeing the State. The administration is taking all possible steps to restore normalcy. The violence is unfortunate and police are working to identify those responsible.”

Expressing hope that normalcy will be restored at the earliest, Mr Shamim said those who were responsible for the violence on April 11 and 12 would not be spared. On allegations by Opposition parties that members of outfits like banned Popular Front of India (PFI) may be involved, the police officer said it was a subject of investigation.

“There were so many events planned [in the State] over the past 15 days, and all the events and festivals were observed peacefully. The scale of mobilisation on Friday and Saturday [April 11 and 12] was so high and a number of fronts were opened at the same time so it may be possible that police could not reach all places with the same intensity,” the ADG said.

Mr Shamim also described the lynching of two members of the same family at Dhulian as a “heinous crime” and said those who were responsible would not be spared. Three persons were killed in the violence on April 12 and 18 policemen sustained injuries in the violence that erupted in protest of The Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

In Murshidabad the situation was slowly returning to normalcy with central armed police forces conducting route marches. Inspector General of CRPF Virendra Kumar Sharma was also posted in the area along with senior police officials. The IG directed the central forces to conduct route marches and build confidence among people.