Will visit Murshidabad at the right time, says CM, urges Guv to defer visit

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that she would visit Murshidabad once normalcy is restored and urged Governor CV Ananda Bose, to defer his proposed visit to the violence-hit district by a few days.

“Peace has largely returned and the administration is currently focused on confidence-building measures. So, I feel that apart from locals, nobody should go to Murshidabad as of now. I could have gone but I chose not to in the current juncture. I’ll visit at the right time. If I go there, then I have to allow others to visit. I will appeal to the Governor to wait for a few days more,” she said during a Press conference on being informed about the Bose’s possible visit.

She once again appealed to all to maintain peace stating that rioters do not belong to any community and they are criminals.

Banerjee claimed that the state Women’s Commission had also expressed their desire to visit Murshidabad and she made the same appeal to them too.

On Thursday, BJP state president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar brought a group of affected people to meet the Governor at Raj Bhavan.

“I am going to the field. Let me have a firsthand account of what happened,” Bose told the media.

Violence erupted on April 11 and 12 in pockets of Murshidabad, including Suti, Dhulian and Jangipur, during protests against the amended Waqf Act. Three people were killed, several persons injured and many properties were set ablaze during the clashes last week.

The Chief Minister claimed that the Home Ministry has not been sharing the details of the individuals entering the state from other countries. She called for greater accountability from the BSF following the extension of its jurisdiction to 50 km from the border.

Banerjee on Wednesday had suggested a conspiracy by Union Home minister Amit Shah and the BSF to allow cross-border influx from Bangladesh to fuel unrest in Bengal.

Presently, the situation has largely been brought under control jointly by the state police and the 17 companies of Central Forces that are deployed in tense areas in the district.

The Bengal government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and over 550 people have been arrested in connection with the violence.