Violence over Citizenship Amendment Act continues unabated in West Bengal

15 buses were torched on the Kona Expressway and many other vehicles ransacked across various parts of southern West Bengal

Violence and arson, which continued unabated in West Bengal from Saturday morning over the Citizenship Amendment Act, spread to the southern and central parts of the state.

Following the mob violence, at least nine trains originating from West Bengal such as Howrah-Pune Duronto Express, Howrah-Mumbai CSMT Gitanjali Express, Howrah-Ernakulam Antyodaya Express, Howrah-Hyderabad East Coast Express and others were cancelled and at least another 20 delayed. 

Ten trains, including Howrah-Yesvantpur Express, Howrah-Pune Azad Hind Express, Howrah-MGR Chennai Mail, Howrah-Ahmedabad Express and others were rescheduled.

Besides, 15 buses have been torched in Kona Expressway and other vehicles ransacked across various parts of south Bengal.

Following roadblocks and protests, traffic movement was suspended till afternoon on the Kona Expressway, the arterial road that connects Kolkata to two key National Highways. 

National Highway 34, which connects north and south Bengal, was also blocked in Murshidabad.

According to the South-Eastern Railway, in course of the agitation, Uluberia station was ransacked by the mob. While the station suffered infrastructural losses, the mob looted cash worth Rs 4 lakh. 

The rioting mob particularly targeted the ticketing counters and the station master’s room in all the railway stations. These were torched, important railway equipment damaged and cash looted. 

Stations like Beldanga and Sankrail were among the worst affected after Uluberia.

The mob also attacked Rejinagar, Murshidabad and Jangipur stations in Murshidabad district, Krishnanagar in Nadia and Baruipur in South 24 Parganas.

The areas which were hit the most by violence are North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Nadia, Murshidabad and Paschim Medinipur. Police and Rapid Action Force personnel have been deployed to contain the violence.

In a tweet directed at chief minister Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “Distressed and pained at events unfolding in the state. The chief minister, as per oath, has to ‘bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India’ and I as Governor will ‘to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law.”

Mamata appealed to the agitators to maintain peace and warned of consequences if they continue to destroy government and public property.

While appealing to the mob to maintain peace, the state’s Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim said, “The fight over the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) is not a fight between Hindus and Muslims. If the majority community suffers as a result of the actions of a particular community, it will only benefit the BJP.”

“If 70 per cent of the Hindu population vote for BJP (in the forthcoming Assembly elections), they will come to power here and West Bengal will turn into Uttar Pradesh. Then, you (the agitators) will have to bow your heads down and stay indoors,” he said, appealing to the mob to stop the violence. He blamed “a few people” of misguiding others.

BJP’s state president Dilip Ghosh compared the ongoing acts of violence in the state to the terrorist attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001.

“December 13 reminds us of the black day of Parliament attack when the temple of our democracy was attacked on this day in 2001. Over the years, we recovered from the blow but the violent acts across the state against the Citizenship Amendment Act has renewed the memories of 2001. It is a blow to the Constitution,” he said.

Mamata and her party, the Trinamool Congress, are opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act and NRC tooth and nail. She stated that she will not allow implementing any of these in Bengal while the BJP has dared her to stop it.

The Trinamool has lined up a series of rallies against the Citizenship Act, beginning December 16.