Curfew imposed in Bengal town after violence erupts over Facebook post; internet suspended

A 48-hour curfew has been imposed around Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Wednesday following clashes over a Facebook post here since Monday. The violence began after a 17-year-old boy put up a Facebook post on Prophet Mohammed. Though the boy has been arrested, the violence has spread to adjacent areas including Keosha market, Banshtala, Ramachandrapur and Tentulia. Shops and markets are also shut.

The BJP alleged that over 2,000 Muslims attacked Hindu families and its party offices at several places. It accused the Trinamool Congress government of supporting anti-social elements responsible for the unrest.

Accusing the state police of failing to control the situation, party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is also the state unit in-charge, urged Home Minister Rajnath Singh to intervene in the matter.

Singh, in turn, has asked the Union Home Secretary to monitor developments in the state. Earlier, the ministry had sought a report from the state government in the matter.

While Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi demanded “an urgent solution to the problem” to ensure the safety of the people, CPI(M) state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra has demanded an all-party meeting be held to “chalk out a way to tackle the situation”.

The opposition, including the Left Front and the Congress, have demanded immediate Army deployment to control the situation.

The central government has deployed 400 (DNA reported 300) paramilitary personnel in the district.

In response, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said all those involved in stoking communal tension in the region will be punished irrespective of their community background.

Kolkata Police also tweeted:

In another twist, Banerjee told the media that Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi had threatened her on phone and that his attitude made her “insulted and humiliated”. She accused him of acting like a “BJP block president”. In response, Governor Tripathi said in a statement to the media, “There was nothing in the talks for which the chief minister might have felt insulted, threatened or humiliated.”

Following the public spat, Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to both Banerjee and Tripathi and asked them to end the “public quarrel”.

The Trinamool Congress has written to the Union Home Minister and President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday requesting an “urgent” probe into the Governor’s misbehaviour. MP Derek O’Brien said, “It’s time for the Governor to go.”