Communal unrest continues to grip parts of West Bengal, especially Murshidabad, after protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act spiralled into large-scale violence, leading to the death of three people and the arrest of over 150 individuals so far.
Disturbing visuals shared by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari showed more than 400 Hindus fleeing Dhulian, crossing the river in boats, and taking shelter in Par Lalpur High School in Malda district. Adhikari accused &ldquo;religiously driven bigots&rdquo; of targeting Hindus, and blamed the Mamata Banerjee-led state government for failing to control the situation, calling it a result of &ldquo;appeasement politics.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Hindus are being hunted. Our people are running for their lives in their own land,&rdquo; Adhikari said in a social media post. &ldquo;Bengal is burning. The social fabric is torn. Enough is enough.&rdquo;
In an urgent response, a special division bench of the Calcutta High Court, comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury, on Saturday ordered the immediate deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in Murshidabad. The court noted that the unrest had spread beyond Murshidabad, with incidents reported in South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, and Hooghly.
&ldquo;Constitutional Courts cannot be mute spectators when citizens&rsquo; safety is at stake,&rdquo; the court said. &ldquo;Earlier deployment of central forces could have de-escalated the volatile situation.&rdquo;
The court directed that CAPF deployment may be extended to other affected districts if required and ordered the state government to file a detailed report on the situation. The next hearing is scheduled for April 17.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, responding to the ongoing tensions, has appealed for peace and stated that her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), does not support the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which was introduced by the Centre, not the state.
&ldquo;Those behind the riots are harming society. We do not support the Waqf Act amendment. The Central government brought it, not us,&rdquo; Banerjee said in a statement.
West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar said that the protests initially began as demonstrations but turned violent with destruction of public property, eventually taking a communal turn. He added that the state police had been instructed to show zero tolerance towards hooliganism.
Governor CV Ananda Bose welcomed the High Court&rsquo;s intervention and expressed concern over the deteriorating situation.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad the High Court has stepped in and given the appropriate decision at the right time,&rdquo; he said.
Six companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) have been deployed in the worst-hit areas of Suti, Dhulian, and Samserganj, though Adhikari has alleged that they are not being effectively utilized on the ground. His petition also seeks an NIA probe into the violence.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party&rsquo;s (BJP) Amit Malviya claimed that the morale of the state police is at an all-time low, attributing it to the chief minister&rsquo;s alleged failure to act against violent mobs.
The situation remains tense as political blame games continue and displaced families wait for assurance of safety and return to normalcy.
(with inputs from IANS)
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Calcutta HC orders CAPF deployment, as political storm hits amid tensions

WB Violence | Hindus Flee Amid Communal Clashes

Calcutta HC orders CAPF deployment, as political storm hits amid tensions

April 14, 2025 | 24:15 IST