New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a strong-worded reply called out the Bangladesh government over the remarks on violence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad. “We reject the remarks made by the Bangladesh side with regard to the incidents in West Bengal. This is a barely disguised and disingenuous attempt to draw a parallel with India’s concerns over the ongoing persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, where the criminal perpetrators of such acts continue to roam free,” the statement read.
This came after Bangladesh’s spokesperson for Muhammad Yunus, interim advisor to the government, made a comment on the situation in West Bengal on Thursday.
It further asked Dhaka to focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities instead of making unwarranted comments about its neighbouring country. “Instead of making unwarranted comments and indulging in virtue signalling, Bangladesh would do better to focus on protecting the rights of its own minorities,” the statement read further.
Violence broke out in Murshidabad on April 11 and 12 during a protest over the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act. At least three people were killed during the violent protests.
Ananda Bose on two-day visit to Murshidabad
Meanwhile, West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday left for strife-torn Murshidabad and Malda districts amid appeal by chief minister Mamata Banerjee to not “fish in the troubled waters”.
The governor met some of the affected people in the Raj Bhawan on Thursday. Bose, after meeting them said that he will make an on the spot assessment at the violence-hit spots. He intends to submit a report to Centre based on this assessment. “If peace is restored, I will be the happiest person. I will file my report accordingly,” The Times of India quoted Bose as saying.
60 FIRs filed so far; 274 rounded up
Banerjee, earlier on Thursday made an appeal to politicians and leaders not to visit the affected areas asking them to wait for a few more days. “I request no one visit Murshidabad at this moment, apart from locals. I could have also gone there, but I haven’t for a reason. If I go, how can I stop others? I will go at the right time. I request the governor and others to wait a few more days,” the TOI report further mentioned her as saying.
Meanwhile, another person was arrested in the April 12 murders of a father-son duo in Murshidabad. The accused is a neighbour. At least 274 people have been rounded up so far based on 60 FIRs that have been filed so far.
NCW chief to meet riot-affected women
Vijaya Rahatkar, National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson arrived in Kolkata on Thursday evening and she along with other members of the panel will visit the riot-hit Murshidabad in the coming days. They have already taken a suo motu cognizance of the violence that took place on April 11 and 12.
“We will extensively talk to women affected by the violence in some parts of Murshidabad during the visit. The other commission members like Archana Majumder will also accompany me,” Vijaya said while talking to news agency PTI.
“Taking serious note of the deeply troubling incident in West Bengal, the National Commission for Women took suo moto cognizance and has constituted an Inquiry Committee to investigate the violence,” the NCW chairperson said earlier on X, adding, “This follows reports of several women enduring horrific molestation during communal unrest in the Mandirpara area of Dhulian and Shamsherganj area of Murshidabad district.”
HC forms committee for rehabilitation of people
The Calcutta high court has ordered the formation of a three-member committee for the identification and rehabilitation of people displaced by the violence in the state. A bench of justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury also said that the deployment of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in Murshidabad will continue.
The three-member committee will consist of an official each from the NHRC, the WBHRC, and the member secretary of the SLSA.
