NEW DELHI: West Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose on Friday reached Malda, defying chief minister Mamata Banerjee‘s request to postpone his visit to the riot-affected regions.
The governor plans to meet victims who fled there following recent communal violence in Murshidabad district.
“I am going there to meet the victims and verify the reports that we have received from the field. I will go to the hospitals, residences of the victims and the relief camps. The central forces and the state police are there together and the situation will soon normalise. I am going there to meet the victims following which I will send my recommendations,” the governor told news agency PTI.
According to a senior Raj Bhavan official, the governor may extend his visit to Murshidabad to personally assess the situation.
The violence, which erupted on April 11 and 12 during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, claimed three lives in the Muslim-majority areas of Shamsherganj, Suti, Dhulian, and Jangipur in Murshidabad district. Many residents, fearing for their safety, sought refuge in neighbouring Malda district.
Law enforcement authorities have made 274 arrests so far for alleged involvement in vandalism and rioting. Both paramilitary forces and state police have been deployed to maintain peace in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also dispatched a team to Malda district to investigate the aftermath of violence in neighboring Murshidabad district. The team’s primary objective is to meet with displaced residents who have sought refuge in temporary camps after fleeing the affected areas.
