12 Kolkata: Alleging that the Murshidabad violence could have "cross-border links" aided by "a section of an opposition party and a section within BSF", Trinamool Congress on Sunday demanded a probe into the "deeper conspiracy" to defame Bengal. The party's demand came as BJP MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah, urging Centre to declare Murshidabad, Malda, Nadia and South 24 Parganas as "disturbed areas" under Afspa and alleging repeated attacks on the Hindu community.
Calling the demand for Afspa "unconstitutional", Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: "We are receiving some grave complaints that the masterminds may have cross-border links. A section of a political party, along with a section in BSF, facilitated some arsonists to enter and return from across the border. Locals reported that some faces of the main masterminds are not from the neighbourhood. No one can identify them. This is a much deeper conspiracy. And the more they make these demands for 355 and 356, and now Afspa, our suspicion only gains credence."
"Who gains by showing Bengal is burning? It is BJP. The waqf bill was passed with an intention to provoke. Our only appeal is that one should protest, but within democratic and legal means, and not fall into this trap laid out by BJP," he added.
In his letter, Mahato claimed that districts such as Murshidabad, Malda, Nadia and South 24 Parganas had witnessed violence against Hindus, with the state administration turning a "blind eye" due to "Trinamool's appeasement politics". Another BJP MP, Jagannath Sarkar, also wrote to Shah and accused Bengal govt of remaining silent when the tension broke out. Sarkar's points echoed the observations made by a special division bench of Calcutta High Court on Saturday evening, which stated that measures taken by the state to control communal unrest in Murshidabad district during the last few days were not adequate.
Bengal BJP held a rally from College Street to Esplanade to protest against the violence in Murshidabad and the loss of jobs by the SSC candidates. The rally, after a long time, marked the presence of top BJP brass, including Sukanta Majumdar, Suvendu Adhikari, Dilip Ghosh and Rahul Sinha. BJP workers started gathering at College Street in the morning. In the afternoon, BJP netas marched, demanding overthrow of the Trinamool govt. Earlier in the day, Adhikari blamed "appeasement politics" for such outbreaks of violence in the state.
Ghosh said: "The difference between us and BJP is that we are trying to pour water on the flames mischievously ignited, and BJP intends to add ghee to it to keep it burning. Trinamool has repeatedly spoken against several provisions of the act, both inside and outside Parliament and even in the assembly. The CM has already made it clear that provisions of the act that are against people will not be implemented in Bengal. The CM will meet community elders on April 16. There is a difference between protest and arson. Why harm normal people?"