KOLKATA: Violence linked to the new waqf law escalated in Bengal on Monday, enveloping Bhangar on the outskirts of Kolkata as mobs took over the streets and unleashed a barrage of bricks that left at least 16 police officers wounded.
The trigger for the street anarchy in Bhangar, a volatile pocket with a history of political violence, was police preventing Indian Secular Front (ISF) rallyists from heading to Kolkata’s Ramlila ground for a rally against the waqf law, report Dwaipayan Ghosh & Sukumar Mahato.
The sight of cops being outnumbered in Bhangar contrasted with a crackdown in flashpoint Murshidabad, where 11 FIRs were registered and the number of arrests exceeded 200.
Police rounded up over 50 of the suspects in Murshidabad overnight, based on accounts of how mobs barged into homes since Friday night and targeted people. Suspension of internet was extended to pockets of Malda and Birbhum districts, contiguous to the strife-torn belts.
One of the 11 FIRs was based on a complaint by Pompa Das, whose husband Chandan and septuagenarian father-in-law Hargodindo were among the three casualties in the communal violence. She described how a mob dragged the duo out of their home in Jatrapara and lynched them while the helpless family watched in horror from their rooftop.
DGP Rajeev Kumar said the situation at Dhulian and other violence-ravaged parts of Murshidabad, which also reported 2 suspected abductions and injuries to many, was now “fully under control”.
CM Mamata Banerjee appealed “with folded hands” to all communities not to get provoked. “Today, on the eve of Poila Baisakh, I urge everyone to peacefully exercise their democratic rights (to protest) with prior permission,” the CM said.
“But remember, whoever you are, A, B, C or D, do not take law in your own hands. Some people may instigate you but do not be provoked… They (her detractors) vilify me, going to the extent of even changing my surname. Which type of people would do this? Religion should not be used for playing irreligious games.”
In Bhangar, the latest flashpoint of waqf protests on the outskirts of Kolkata, vehicles ferrying ISF supporters had been first stopped near Bairampur on Basanti highway. The stand-off escalated into violence as police allegedly used batons against the protesters. A similar attempt by cops from Bhangar division and Kolkata police reserve battalion at Shonpur in Bhangar fuelled the mob fury. Around 2,000-odd protesters later blocked Basanti highway for four hours. Lalbazar, Kolkata police headquarters, cited intelligence on “ISF mobilising crowds” as the reason for restricting gatherings in the city centre.
At the Sealdah rally, ISF legislator Naushad Siddiqui questioned the police intervention. “The CM has said the new waqf law won’t be implemented in this state. We also don’t want it to be implemented. That’s why we organised the rally in Sealdah. Why did the police obstruct our workers from going there?”
Mayor Firhad Hakim advised protesters to direct their actions towards Delhi. “Why are they staging a drama here and inconveniencing people? When we take to the streets and block roads, it causes trouble for everyone. If you want to protest, the best thing to do is to organise a collective call to go to Delhi. Protests should be held where the waqf law has been implemented or will be implemented in those states,” he further added.
Violence was also reported Monday in Siliguri city of north Bengal, with a couple of RAF battalions being deployed in the Jyoti Nagar area after two groups clashed during the Charak festival. Police said that the conflict appeared to stem from “a rumour”.
(With inputs from Roshan Gupta in Siliguri)
