Murshidabad Violence: CM Mamata Banerjee Blames Centre, BSF

KOLKATA:
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday, accused the Union government of being responsible for the recent tension and violence in the minority-dominated Murshidabad district during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

She also accused the Border Security Force (BSF) of their alleged ‘failure’ in preventing miscreants from neighbouring Bangladesh from reportedly entering the Indian territory and creating violence in Murshidabad.

“I saw a video related to the National Investigative Agency (NIA), which said that a report of the Union Home Ministry has claimed the involvement of Bangladeshi miscreants behind the chaos in Murshidabad. If that is true, who will take that responsibility? Who is responsible for preventing illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators from entering the Indian side? Whose instructions do BSF follow? BSF operates under the instruction of the Union Home Ministry. So what is our fault? Why did the BSF allow the illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators to enter?” the Chief Minister questioned while addressing a meeting with the imams, muezzins, and religious leaders from the Muslim community in the state. The meeting has been reportedly convened to prepare the blueprint on how to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

The Chief Minister also said the violence in Murshidabad was a pre-planned one. “There was enough provocation for creating violence. Had Trinamool Congress been behind the conspiracy, the houses of the party MP and the legislator would not have been attacked. I have not come here to make any provocative statement. I have come here to spread the message of peace,” the Chief Minister said.

She also claimed that the BJP, through the help of agencies, is trying to rope in outsiders in West Bengal to create tension here.

“They had plans to create a riot-like situation on the occasion of Ram Navami. But they failed. I thank the people of West Bengal for that. Now, they are trying to create tension over the Waqf Act. We have to resist that,” the Chief Minister said.

She also clarified that the meeting on Wednesday was not convened by her but by the Imams. “I have not convened the meeting. The Imams invited me, and I came,” she said.