Communal violence perpetrators in Murshidabad mainly outsiders, says Trinamool MP

Trinamool Congress MP Khalilur Rahaman from the Jangipur constituency said on Sunday that initial findings indicate the perpetrators of communal violence in certain areas of the minority-dominated Murshidabad district of West Bengal, which has been tense in recent days due to protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, were primarily outsiders and not residents of the district.

After the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were deployed in the district on Saturday night -- with a concentration on the nine most troubled pockets -- the members of the families affected by the violence have started coming out and narrating their horrific experiences during the last few days.

As per statements given by them to the CAPF and media personnel, most of the perpetrators seen involved in vandalism were actually outsiders who suddenly surfaced like flash mobs, carried out the vandalism, and then left.

The members of the affected people also claimed that among the perpetrators, there were several visibly under-aged individuals participating in the vandalism.

Meanwhile, the total number of arrests, which was 118 till Saturday evening, has now increased to 150 till Sunday morning, confirmed a district police official.

The theory of the outsiders perpetrating the violence has also been accepted by the leadership of the ruling Trinamool Congress in the Murshidabad district.

Khalilur Rahaman said the attackers were mainly outsiders to Murshidabad. However, he denied knowledge of where they came from.

"It can be either from neighbouring Malda and Nadia districts coming either from the land or water routes through the Ganga and Bhagirathi Rivers. The location of Murshidabad is such that it can be entered both through land and water routes,” Rahaman added.

According to the Trinamool Congress legislator, Manirul Islam, whose house was attacked by a section of the flash mobs, also accepted the outsider's theory. “Such things have never happened in this area. This could not have been possible unless outsiders had orchestrated the entire sequence. There might be some insiders involved in the rampage. But the perpetrators had mainly come from outside,” said Islam.

Meanwhile, the air of tension has continued to prevail in the troubled pockets of Suti, Samserganj, Dhulian, and Jangipur, among others in the district, despite the CAPF personnel being deployed in large numbers, with the major concentration being the nine most troubled pockets.

The CAPF personnel were deployed following an order of a special division bench of the High Court on Saturday evening. The CAPF personnel started patrolling in the troubled zones on Saturday night. The Director General of State Police, Rajeev Kumar, also reached Murshidabad on Saturday night, coordinating with the administrative officials and commanding officers of CAPF.

Police and CAPF postings have been done at all the entry points to the Murshidabad district, both by roadways and waterways. Each vehicle or boat entering the territory of Murshidabad is being thoroughly checked, and the passengers are being questioned before entry is allowed.