Governor C V Ananda Bose is likely to visit Murshidabad district on Friday to assess the situation on the ground following last week’s violent clashes that claimed three lives and left several injured. The violence, which erupted between two groups, also led to arson and destruction of property in parts of the district, prompting heavy deployment of police, RAF and central forces.
Raj Bhavan sources said the Governor may leave for Murshidabad on Thursday night and visit the affected areas on Friday. During the visit, he is expected to meet victims of the violence and hold meetings with senior district officials and police officers. In response to the unrest, Mr Bose had also directed the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) to immediately provide relief to the victims in riot-hit areas of Murshidabad and Malda. Former IAS officer Dr S K Pattanayak, chairman of IRCS, and Sandeep Rajput, chief nodal officer of the Rapid Action Cell in Raj Bhavan, will serve as the key nodal officers overseeing the relief efforts.
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Emergency helplines—9732524377 and 8013344318—have been activated for those in need. Meanwhile, the BJP has strongly criticised the state administration and intelligence agencies for their alleged failure to act despite prior information about the planned violence.
State BJP president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, who met displaced residents of Murshidabad met with the Governor, lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee-led government. “Where was the intelligence department? We are hearing they had been aware of a conspiracy being planned in Murshidabad for the last three months. Even funding from Turkey has been mentioned. If this was known, what were the chief minister’s intelligence officers doing? Were they making web series or busy with fact-checking?” Majumdar questioned while speaking to journalists. He further alleged that the violence—sparked ostensibly by opposition to the Waqf Amendment Act—was far from a spontaneous public outburst. According to BJP, claims backed by unnamed intelligence sources, areas like Suti, Dhulian, and Samserganj had been marked for unrest as part of a premeditated blueprint. Investigative reports have revealed a pattern of deliberate planning: stockpiling railway stones for use as weapons, looting shops, targeted attacks on select households, destruction of government property, arson, and attempts to disrupt rail and road connectivity. Intelligence agencies have reportedly identified over 50 individuals involved in the planning and tracked more than 70 mobile calls that provided tactical instructions during the unrest. Allegations have also surfaced about more than 30 international calls made from across the Bangladesh border to Jangipur sub-division on the day of the violence, further deepening concerns about cross-border coordination. The Governor’s upcoming visit and Raj Bhavan’s intervention in relief efforts have added political weight to the issue, with the ruling party yet to officially respond to the BJP’s accusations.