Murshidabad Violence: Governor CV Ananda Bose Meets Victims' Families, Calls for Action; NCW Also Conducts Ground Review:

West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday met with the family of Harogobindo Das and Chandan Das who were brutally murdered during the anti-Waqf Act riots in Murshidabad’s Jafrabad area of Shamsherganj. The whodunit shows multiple stab injuries at the residence.

A Raj Bhavan official corroborated the family’s statement regarding the murder case, claiming that the family has sought a CBI probe which the Governor has said he will escalate to the Centre and State.

Two-Day Government Visit Risked Banerjee’s Appeal

The Governor has already been to violence-stricken districts and is now set to visit Dhulian, Suti and Jangipur which sustained disruption between the 8th and 12th of April.

Like the Chief Minister of the state, Mamata Banerjee, pleaded with the governor not to continue with the visit due to confidence-building measures in-progress, Bose refuted:

“I would like to appreciate the realities on the field and have a firsthand impression.”

Farakka To Malda: Outreach To Maltreatment Victims

Residing in the riot-affected area, the Malda governor also toured the relief camp in Farakka where he met displaced families.

“I’ve shared my number with victims. They can directly call me. Action will be taken,” he claimed.

He highlighted that the concerns and recommendations put forward by the victims will, as a matter of policy, be sent to the uppermost echelonsof the state apparatus.

Increasing The Number Of Casualties And The Government's Reaction

To this date, three people, including the Das couple, have been killed with violence resulting in 278 detentions. There was widespread violence after protests came up in the Muslim-dominant zones due to the changes made to the Waqf Act. As stated in the Government of West Bengal’s submission to the Calcutta High Court, what commenced as a protest on 4th April was escalated to an uncontrollable level by mob violence in the form of assaults on police personnel and barricading of roads and other forms of bulaniconducts on 8th April.

This was aggravated on 11th April when there was widespread setting of public and private property on fire, damage to such property, and shooting… from the police in defense of themselves.

National Commission on Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar also went to the afflicted place of Betbona, Shamsherganj on Saturday.

She spoke with a number of women abusees some of whom put forth the following suggestions:

BSF must have dedicated camps in the identified weak zones.

The violence ought to be examined by the national investigation agency.

“There is no cause for alarm, you’re not on your own…Bothe Centre and NCW shower you with support for strength and guidance,” Rahatkar promised reassuringly while saying that the central government would receive an exhaustive analysis.

The NCW has previously conducted freestanding investigations as has the NHRC and travelled to relief camps in Malda within the aftermath of the riots in Dhulian, Suti, Jangipur and adjacent regions.