Days after the communal tension, Basirhat in West Bengal came to normalcy with shops, schools and colleges opened. However, security forces are yet to be withdrawn.
The four battalions of BSF and CRPF are still marching in the area while Indian Army has been withdrawn steadily.
However, West Bengal government is yet to give any permission for any political activities in the area.
Said Jyotipriyo Mullick, the food minister of West Bengal, “It will take sometime for political activities to start. If it’s allowed now, certain elements would again raise certain issues which would add fresh fire. But we will not snatch the rights of the political parties, and political activities would start sooner rather than later.”
BJP attacked the Mamata Banerjee government, saying West Bengal was not a place for democracy anymore.
“This government reined terror in the area. Their MLAs and MP s allowed the rioters to go on rampage. To hide everything, they want us not to organise political activities in the area,” said Biswapriyo Roychowdhury, general secretary of BJP in West Bengal.
Souvik Sarkar, the 17-year-old boy, whose Facebook post had ignited communal clash is still in judicial custody.
The boy has been booked under the non-bailable warrant and is in Barasat jail. A resident of Baduria, Souvik’s family is still absconding.
Roychowdhury said, “This is absolutely a violation of human rights. How could they detain the boy just because he allegedly posted something on social media?”
An investigation by police have found that terror group from Bangladesh were behind the Basirhat communal violence. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the BSF for unable to check infiltration across the border.
Though Union government suggested a team from home ministry to be sent to Basirhat to assess the situation, the state government categorically said that such a team to assess the situation would amount to interfering in the law and order which is state subject.
The BJP has also demanded the repair of the affected houses of Hindus in the area at the expense of the government.
“We demand that according to a state law, all households whose houses were damaged be given compensation immediately,” said Roychowdhury. He also demanded that Souvik’s family be given security.
It remains to be seen how Mamata Banerjee deals with the political situation in Basirhat once the activities start there.
