Prophet row: Fresh violence erupts in parts of West Bengal

Story by IANS | Posted by Tripti Nath | Date 11-06-2022

Bengal witnesses violence over anti Prophet remarks

Kolkata

Fresh violence erupted in certain pockets of Howrah district in West Bengal on Saturday morning following demonstrations over the recent anti Prophet remarks.

While the West Bengal government is trying to control the situation, a number of imams have appealed to the people to stay calm and refrain from agitation.

Tension broke out in minority-dominated Panchal area in Howrah district on Saturday morning after protesters attacked and ransacked a local club. When police tried to disperse them, the agitators attacked them with stones.

Police resorted to lathi charge and also lobbed teargas shells to disperse the mob..Tension also prevailed in the minority-dominated Domjur area where the police station was attacked on late Friday evening.

As many as 12 policemen were injured in the incident and some police vehicles were torched.

The state government has taken certain steps to arrest the spread of violence in Howrah.Internet services have been suspended in the entire district till 6 a.m. on June 13 to prevent rumour mongering.

Section 144 has also been imposed till 6 a.m. on June 15 in different pockets of the state including the minority dominated Panchal and Jagatballavpur areas.

West Bengal government Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee said, "I have said it before and saying it again that for the last two days there have been attempts to destabilize normal life in Howrah through violence. Some political parties, who are trying to create riots are responsible for this. This will not be tolerated. The common people cannot suffer because of the sin of the BJP.''

Meanwhile, BJP's national vice president and party MP, Dilip Ghosh reached a ransacked party office in Howrah's Mansatala on Saturday before noon. "Tension was deliberately created in the media by spreading rumours through the social media. The police remained inactive against those who ransacked the office," Ghosh alleged.

Several senior BJP leaders were stopped by police from visiting tension-prone areas in Howrah district. BJP's state president in West Bengal and party MP, Sukanta Majumdar.was stopped at his residence in New Town in the northern outskirts of Kolkata. BJP leader and advocate, Priyanka Tiberwal's car was also stopped on Second Hooghly Bridge that connects Kolkata with Howrah.

BJP Lok Sabha member, Soumitra Khan has made a fornal request to Union Home Minister, Amit Shah to initiate deployment of central armed forces in tension-prone pockets in the state to control the situation.