Latest news with #AmirulIslam
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Murshidabad violence: A report names its leaders, leaves TMC with a fresh problem
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal had already been battling accusations of mismanaging the situation in Murshidabad last month when communal violence rocked the border district. Now, providing ammunition to the Opposition, a Calcutta High Court-appointed committee has blamed the local TMC leadership, naming an MLA and a councillor, and alleging that the police were completely inactive. With the Assembly elections less than a year away, the simmering situation in Murshidabad and the outing of the part of the report have allowed the BJP to step up its attack on the TMC and paint it as a party that engages in appeasement politics towards minorities. While earlier it was easier for the TMC to brush off any allegations, given that no specific allegations were raised against its leaders, the report changes that. The leak marks the third setback for the party in the last couple of months. First, the Supreme Court on April 3 upheld the Calcutta High Court's verdict annulling the appointment of 25,753 teachers and ordering the government to initiate a fresh selection process. On May 16, the Supreme Court directed the government to release 25% of the outstanding Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears to its employees within six weeks. The probe report on the Murshidabad violence states that the attacks were 'directed by the local councillor Mehboob Alam …. the local police was completely inactive and absent'. This refers to the anti-Waqf Amendment Act protests that erupted on April 11. According to the committee, the main attack occurred after 2.30 pm when 'Mehboob Alam came with miscreants', among them residents of Samserganj, Hizaltala, Shiulitala, and Digri who were masked. The report alleges that Samserganj MLA Amirul Islam 'came, saw which houses were not attacked, and then the attackers set them ablaze … The villagers of Betbona telephoned, but the West Bengal Police did not respond … The MLA was also present. He saw the vandalism and went away'. Alam, who is the former chairperson of Dhulian municipality, dismissed the allegations. 'I respect the court, but the allegations against me are completely false. The day the incident happened, I was at Kadamtala with four people from the Hindu community. When I saw miscreants running with weapons, I tried to stop them. They chased us and we went to Nadabpara. The Hindu families and I took shelter there and then called the officer in charge of Samserganj police station who did not receive calls at first. Once he picked up my call, he said he would look into it. But he did not do anything. I have helped develop my ward. Is it possible that I will set fire to the ward I helped develop? This is a BJP-RSS conspiracy,' said the TMC leader. Amirul Islam also dismissed the allegations contained in the report. 'I was out there trying to stop the miscreants. I was one of the few party leaders who did it. It was my duty. Later, I toured the area and provided relief to people. This is a conspiracy.' A local Trinamool leader said both Amirul and Alam had prospered under TMC rule. The MLA started as a local teacher but now runs a business, while Alam has ties with the local beedi industry. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said the report establishes that Hindus were targeted in the violence and that TMC leaders were involved. 'The attitude of the police, instead of stopping the violence, seems to be ignoring the actions of TMC leaders,' he said. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh dismissed the allegations outright as the BJP's 'political propaganda'. 'What happened in Murshidabad is condemnable, nobody supports it,' Ghosh said, adding that following the violence, the state administration had fulfilled its duties, be it rehabilitation of the victims or making arrests in the matter. 'Another aspect involves the larger conspiracy,' Ghosh said. 'How did outsiders, possibly including those from across the border, enter (the state)? The TMC has been a responsible Opposition. At a time when the country is united in its fight against terror, BJP leaders are busy with propaganda on Murshidabad. This is a part of their conspiracy.'
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC panel: Cops were 'inactive, absent' during 'targeted' Murshidabad attacks
KOLKATA: Bengal Police was "completely inactive and absent" during targeted mob attacks on homes and residents in Murshidabad's Betbona under the cover of anti-waqf law protests on April 11 and 12, according to a fact-finding report filed by the three-member committee constituted by Calcutta high court . The report flags local Trinamool councillor Mehoob Alam and Shamsherganj MLA Amirul Islam's presence among the vandals who ran riot in the area on April 11, in one instance destroying pumps and tanks to ensure there was no water to save properties that were burned down. Detailing the plight of the victims, the report mentions how miscreants poured kerosene on a pile of garments belonging to the women of a family and set them alight so that they didn't have anything left to wear. "The MLA saw the vandalism and went away. The violence continued on April 12," it states. Repeated calls to police for help from besieged residents on both days went unanswered, enabling multiple mobs to break into homes and pick their targets, the report says, citing the fact-finding panel's interactions with victims. Many Murshidabad victims still living with kin: HC panel The Trinamool Congress govt had blamed "outsiders" from across the border for the violence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo The division bench of Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury formed the committee - consisting of National Human Rights Commission registrar (law) Joginder Singh, West Bengal Legal Services Authority member-secretary Satya Arnab Ghosal and West Bengal Judicial Service registrar Saugata Chakraborty - to identify people affected by the violence and assess the damage. Three people were killed and hundreds were left homeless in the violence, looting and arson that raged in pockets of Murshidabad over the Waqf (Amendment) Act. Hundreds fled by boat across the Ganga to seek refuge in a school building there. The HC-constituted panel visited Betbona village and some areas of Shamsherganj, where they identified 113 homes that were broken into, looted and set ablaze. "The houses there are visibly damaged (75-80% damage), totally inhabitable... rehabilitation is not possible without thorough reconstruction," the report says. Many of the victims the panel spoke to said they were still living with relatives after having lost property, cash and official documents in the targeted violence. Around 29 shops were damaged in Dhuliyan's Ghoshpara. The committee also noted that Betbona residents wanted permanent BSF camps and central armed forces. Mobs from Shamsherganj, Hijaltala, Shiulitala and Digri came with their faces masked, the victims told the panel. TMC said the party brass and legal aides needed to minutely scan the report, filed last week and made public on Wednesday, before putting out an official response. "We will provide a detailed statement after analysing whether this report is unbiased, complete, reflects the actual situation, and reveals any hidden conspiracies. For now, we oppose BJP's distorted facts," party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said. "We are examining whether the report is comprehensive, accurately represents the ground situation of the area, or is merely accusatory, and whether it includes the full statement of the police administration. We will also see if the report mentions the involvement of outsiders. We are studying this from a legal perspective." Minister Sashi Panja said BJP's propaganda on the Murshidabad riots was provocative and politically motivated. "What happened in Murshidabad is condemnable, nobody supports it. Following the unrest, the CM, state administration and police have fulfilled all their duties. Be it compensation or rehabilitation, the state govt has delivered on its responsibilities. There have been arrests and a probe," Panja said.
