Bengal: Fresh unrest in Murshidabad after migrant worker’s death in Jharkhand

Fresh unrest was reported in West Bengal's Murshidabad on Saturday, a day after violence broke out in the district following the death of a migrant worker in Jharkhand, PTI reported.

Tensions have been reported in the district since Friday following the death of 36-year-old Alauddin Sheikh, a migrant worker from Beldanga area who died in Jharkhand.

Sheikh's family members alleged that he was beaten to death and later hung to make it appear as a suicide, The Telegraph reported. Protests erupted after his body was brought back to the village.

On Saturday, protesters blocked National Highway 12, disrupting traffic for several hours. They also damaged a railway gate and attempted to disrupt train services on the Sealdah-Lalgola section of the Eastern Railway, the news agency reported.

Protesters claimed that migrant workers from Murshidabad face repeated attacks and unsafe conditions in other states because they are Bengali speakers, The Times of India reported.

Police intervened to clear the blockade, resorting to lathi charge at some locations, PTI quoted Kumar Sunny Raj, the superintendent of police of Murshidabad as saying.

He added that around 15 to 20 people had been detained in connection with the violence over the past two days.

More than 12 people have sustained injuries and at least two journalists were assaulted since the violence broke out on Friday.

A woman journalist, Soma Maity, from a local television news channel sustained injuries while covering the unrest and cameraperson Ranjit Mahato was admitted to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital with head injuries and internal haemorrhage, The Times of India reported.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that she did not support the violence but added that it is “not in her hands”, The Wire reported. She also urged persons to stay away from the mob.

“I did not cause the incident,” Banerjee was quoted as saying. “I did not ask people to go into the mob.”

Alleging a political conspiracy, Banerjee claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party was instigating unrest in the state.

“Migrant workers are being tortured,” she was quoted as saying. “The BJP is instigating riots, and behind this, there are agencies of the [Union] government of India.”

BJP leader Sambit Patra accused Banerjee of attempting to divide Bengal on the “foundation of appeasement politics”, PTI reported.

“Violence is currently happening in Murshidabad,” Patra was quoted as saying. “NH 12 has been blocked, and all train services have been suspended. Trains are being burnt and Mamata Banerjee is justifying it, saying it is happening due to the minorities' anger.”

Source: Scroll
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