TMC blames opposition party for Murshidabad violence

Kolkata, May 21 (PTI) Without directly naming the BJP, Trinamool Congress on Wednesday alleged that an opposition party instigated violence in Murshidabad district on April 11.
    TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh told reporters that in the days preceding the violence, leaders of one political party made provocative statements pitting one community against another and made visits to parts of the district to suit their political agenda.
    He was commenting on the report filed by a committee set up by the Calcutta High Court for identification and rehabilitation of victims of anti-Waqf protests-related violence in Murshidabad district.
    "We are also of the view that the state police took prompt action and restored normalcy in the area. An SIT was formed, and all those behind the violence were arrested. Our CM Mamata Banerjee also asserted that there will be zero tolerance to any troublemakers. While all party peace meetings and rallies are being held in the violence-hit areas, some of the opposition leaders are still visiting the areas and trying to polarise the people," Ghosh said.
    The committee, comprising Joginder Singh, Registrar, (Law), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Satya Arnab Ghosal, member secretary, West Bengal Legal Services Authority (WBLSA) and Saugata Chakraborty, Registrar, WBJS, submitted the report to the high court last week after visiting the affected areas and speaking to the victims as directed by the division bench hearing the matter.
    Commenting on TMC's response, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said, "Local TMC leaders instigated the violence and were behind the riots as TMC itself is at the dirty game of polarisation for vote bank politics. Even apart from Hindus, poor members of the minority community are bearing the brunt of TMC's dangerous game plan for their own electoral benefit."
    The high court had on April 17 ordered the formation of the committee for the identification and rehabilitation of people displaced by the violence during the protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in Murshidabad district.
    The division bench, comprising justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury, noted that the committee had stated in its report that "appointing qualified valuation experts is the only possible remedy to the state's failure to protect a section of its citizens."

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)