West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday called the recent violence in Murshidabad a “pre-planned communal riot” and stated that if individuals from Bangladesh were involved, then the Central Government should be held accountable.

Speaking at a gathering of Imams and Muezzins in Kolkata, the Chief Minister pointed out that guarding international borders is not the job of the state government. 

“I saw a tweet yesterday quoting Home Ministry sources that Bangladesh is involved in this. If that is the case, the Central government is responsible since BSF guards the borders, not us,” she said.

Ms. Banerjee also appealed to the Muslim community not to fall into the “trap” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “The BJP wants to polarise so that my government is removed from power. Once they come to power, they won’t even allow you to eat,” she warned.

She asked religious leaders to help maintain peace and guide people not to react to provocative comments. “Imams and Muezzins have a responsibility to ensure that no one gets enraged by what the BJP says,” the Chief Minister added.

Criticism over the Waqf Amendment Act

During her speech, the Trinamool Congress leader also criticised the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act. She said her party MPs had opposed the bill in Parliament and urged other members of the INDIA Opposition alliance to protest against it in Delhi. Ms. Banerjee questioned why BJP allies like Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party supported the bill. According to her, the Act should have been passed with a two-thirds majority like a Constitutional amendment.

Compensation for riot victims

The Chief Minister also announced financial aid for the victims of the violence. Families of those who lost their lives in the Murshidabad riots will receive ₹10 lakh as compensation, she said.

 

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