‘They want to remove Hindus’: BJP attacks Mamata Banerjee government over Mominpur violence

Tensions flared up in Mominpur after religious flags put up in the area for the Milad-un-Nabi festival were allegedly torn up, which soon turned violent with the vandalization of several vehicles and shops. West Bengal Police on Monday imposed section 144 in the Ekbalpur area of the state for two days

Image Source: ANI

Kolkata: Hitting out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government over the Mominpur violence, Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Friday alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) wants to remove Hindus from certain areas in Kolkata. 

"They (TMC) want to remove Hindus from Mominpur, Eqbalpur and Khidirpur. This is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee`s vote bank politics. Hindu vote is going towards BJP and CM Banerjee is taking minority votes by threatening and doing communal campaigns," Adhikari told ANI. 

Earlier, Adhikari wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Governor La Ganesan demanding an urgent deployment of central forces in the region. "The Hindu community has come under attack in Khidirpore Mominpur area of Kolkata on the eve of Lakshmi Puja," Adhikari, also the leader of the opposition, said in the letter.

He said many shops and bikes belonging to Hindus were vandalised by hooligans and anti-social elements in the violence. "The onslaught has similarities to the Panchla violence which happened in June in the Uluberia area of Howrah district. At that time, the violence spread across West Bengal, especially in Nadia and Murshidabad districts," Adhikari wrote.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed West Bengal Police to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Mominpur incident. After the investigation, the SIT will have to submit its report in court. The Calcutta High Court has also directed the Kolkata Police Commissioner to take steps so that there is no further violence.

The tensions flared up in Mominpur on Sunday after religious flags put up in the area for the Milad-un-Nabi festival were allegedly torn up, which soon turned violent with the vandalization of several vehicles and shops. Reports said a group of people later in the night surrounded the Ekbalpore police station in protest against the violence and demanding the arrest of the accused. Some police personnel have been reportedly injured. Security has been tightened in the area since then.

The West Bengal Police on Monday imposed section 144 in the Ekbalpur area of the state for two days. The two-day curfew (from October 10 to October 12), has been imposed amid the ongoing law and order situation in the region due to the violence that erupted in Mominpur and the ransacking of Ekbalpur police station on Sunday evening.