2 held in Bongaon for bid to incite communal violence
Times of India | 3 May 2025
Kolkata: Two members of ‘Sanatani Ekta Mancha', a religious organisation, were arrested on Thursday for attempting to incite communal violence in the India-Bangladesh border area of Bongaon in North 24 Parganas. The duo allegedly pasted a Pakistan national flag on the wall of a washroom near a railway station on the Sealdah-Bongaon section. They also intended to write the slogans ‘Hindustan Murdabad' and ‘Pakistan Zindabad'.
In a post on X, Bongaon SP Dinesh Kumar said: "A Pakistani national flag was found to be pasted on the walls of a washroom beside Akaipur railway station under Gopalnagar PS. Investigation revealed that this was wilfully done by Chandan Malakar (30) and Progyajit Mondal (45), both local residents and active members of a political party as also of Sanatani Ekta Manch."
"They confessed to the act, and it is revealed that they planned to write ‘Hindustan Murdabad and Pakistan Zindabad' on that wall to create communal disturbances in the area. Both have been arrested in a specific case. Further investigation is on. We shall spare no efforts to bring to book those who are hatching such conspiracies to trigger communal unrest," the SP added.
Ashok Kirtania, BJP MLA from Bongaon North and a senior member of ‘Sanatani Ekta Manch', however, accused cops of unnecessary action, saying: "Police are arresting people under false cases."
Countering the allegation, Biswajit Das, Trinamool's Bongaon organisational district president, said: "Ahead of the assembly elections, BJP is conspiring to disrupt communal harmony and planning a blood-soaked political strategy. The police have done their duty."