In response to the recent communal unrest in Murshidabad, the West Bengal Police on Wednesday constituted a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to thoroughly probe the incidents of violence that occurred in minority-concentrated regions of the district. The clashes, which broke out in areas such as Dhuliyan, Suti, and Jangipur on April 11 and 12, were sparked by protests against the amended Waqf Act and resulted in the deaths of three individuals, with several others injured.
The SIT will be led by an Additional Superintendent of Police and will include two Deputy Superintendents — one each from the Counter Insurgency Force and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Supporting them will be six inspectors, four of whom are from the CID, along with a Traffic Police officer and the Cyber Crime Police Station in-charge from the Sundarban Police District.
Police have apprehended 180 individuals in connection with the disturbances as of Saturday afternoon. Authorities also reported that 18 police personnel were wounded during the clashes. Prohibitory measures under Section 163 of the BNSS remain in place across the affected areas.
Among those arrested are two suspects linked to the killings of Harogobindo Das and his son Chandan. One of the accused was caught in Murari, Birbhum district, while the other was detained in Suti.
Addressing a gathering of Muslim clerics in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the violence as “pre-planned,” and laid the blame squarely on the BJP, central agencies, and the Border Security Force (BSF). She alleged that these entities enabled cross-border infiltration from Bangladesh, further escalating tensions.
“I came across news quoting Home Ministry sources claiming the role of elements from across the border in the Murshidabad unrest. Is it not the role of the BSF to guard the border? The BSF is under the MHA. The state government does not guard the international border. The Centre can’t evade responsibility,” Banerjee said.
The TMC chief warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the divisive consequences of the amended Waqf Act, calling it “atrocious” and appealing for it to be withdrawn. She urged Modi to “keep a check” on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of fostering unrest to serve his own political interests.
“I would request the PM to keep a check on Shah. He is harming the country the most to serve his political interests. Why is he in such a hurry? He will never become the PM, and what will he do once Modiji leaves? The PM must see how his Home Minister is misusing central agencies,” she said.
Banerjee alleged that the central government rushed through the Waqf amendments despite unrest in Bangladesh and allowed infiltration, both of which she said contributed to Bengal’s turmoil.
“I will find out who the BSF had financed in the border areas by paying money to local youths to pelt stones during the violence,” she further alleged.
The Chief Minister has ordered an official inquiry into BSF’s actions during the violence, including claims of them opening fire. She also announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹10 lakh each to the families of those killed.
Accusing Shah of orchestrating a smear campaign against the state, Banerjee said, “They have a lot of money and a massive propaganda machinery working to defame Bengal. Most of this is being controlled by Shah. I have never taken his name before, but if the Home Minister starts behaving like ‘Kalidas’ — cutting the very branch he is sitting on — then we are compelled to speak out,” she said.
Meanwhile, the BJP has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and called for Banerjee’s resignation, accusing her of engaging in “appeasement politics.”
