‘Will gouge out eyes, break limbs’: TMC MP’s alleged threat over Waqf protests leaves Bengal BJP fuming
Times of India | 14 April 2025
Credit: X NEW DELHI: Amid escalating tensions in West Bengal's Murshidabad district following violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, BJP leaders launched a scathing attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing it of encouraging lawlessness through appeasement politics.
State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar took to social media platform 'X' to condemn TMC MP from Mathurapur, Bapi Halder for his controversial remarks allegedly inciting violence. Halder had purportedly threatened to “gouge out eyes and break limbs,” a statement that sparked outrage and calls for immediate action.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Majumdar alleged that radical groups, under the guise of opposing the amended Waqf law, were unleashing targeted violence against Hindus, including attacks on BSF personnel.
“Who is enabling them? This TMC MP is making it obvious,” he wrote, demanding accountability from both the West Bengal Police and chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
The BJP MP also pointed to recent unrest in Jalangi, where protestors set fire to police vehicles and vandalised a Block Development Office. “This is the cost of shameless appeasement,” Majumdar said, adding that the violence showed the “collapse of governance” in the state.
Echoing similar concerns, other BJP MPs, including Jyotirmay Singh Mahato and Jagannath Sarkar, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the Centre to declare districts like Murshidabad, Malda, Nadia, and South 24 Parganas as “disturbed areas” under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. Mahato alleged systematic attacks on the Hindu community, while Sarkar accused the state administration of deliberate inaction.
'A deeper conspiracy'
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress responded by dismissing the BJP’s accusations and warning of a “deeper conspiracy” to malign Bengal’s image. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh raised concerns about alleged cross-border involvement and claimed that some attackers were not locals. “Some elements facilitated by a section within a political party and possibly aided by BSF links crossed over and returned after inciting arson,” he said.
Ghosh rejected the demand for imposing Afspa as “unconstitutional” and accused BJP of exploiting the unrest to polarise voters. He added that chief minister Mamata Banerjee had already stated that parts of the Waqf law would not be enforced in Bengal if deemed harmful. She is scheduled to meet community elders on April 16 to address concerns.
While police claim the situation in areas like Jangipur is under control, tension remains palpable. Additional forces have been deployed as a precaution, and investigations are ongoing into the incidents of arson and public property damage.
In Kolkata, top BJP leaders including Majumdar, Suvendu Adhikari, Dilip Ghosh, and Rahul Sinha led a protest rally from College Street to Esplanade, demanding the dismissal of the TMC government and immediate intervention to restore order in Murshidabad.