Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 17: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose announced on Thursday that he will visit the violence-hit Murshidabad district on Friday to assess the ground situation personally.
Speaking at a press conference, Governor Bose stated, “I am going to the field to see for myself the realities of the field. I will have an objective view of the matter. The situation has been brought under control. We should take further steps to prevent similar instances in future. I will certainly visit Murshidabad…People from the area have requested to have a BSF camp there.”
He emphasized that Raj Bhavan will coordinate efforts with both the Union and State Governments to support the victims.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also announced plans to visit Murshidabad. Speaking at an event at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, she said an SIT has been formed to probe the unrest.
“I will ask the Chief Secretary to submit a report. The families of those killed in the violence will receive Rs 10 lakh each. We don’t look at the victims’ religion but their suffering. Victims whose houses were destroyed will be given homes under the Banglar Bari scheme. For shopkeepers whose establishments were damaged, the administration will assess losses and provide support,” Banerjee said.
The unrest, which erupted on April 11 during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, has seen over 150 arrests. Police forces have been deployed in affected areas like Samserganj and Dhuliyan.
The incident has triggered sharp political reactions. Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar accused the state government of suppressing victims and obstructing human rights investigations.
In a post on X, Majumdar wrote, “What kind of dictatorship is Mamata Banerjee running in Bengal? Hindu families brutally persecuted by radical Islamist mobs in Murshidabad fled to Malda for survival… Now reports say the administration is forcibly removing them from camps to prevent them from meeting NHRC officials. This is state-sponsored suppression!”
He further questioned the state government’s motives, calling it a “total breakdown of constitutional order.”
Adding to the political pressure, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court demanding that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) take over the probe into the violence.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act has emerged as a flashpoint in the region, drawing strong responses from both the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition parties.