On Sunday (October 9), the Hindu community in the Mominpore locality of Kolkata in West Bengal came under attack as they geared up to celebrate the annual Lakshmi Puja.
Sukanta Majumdar, BJP Chief of West Bengal, informed that bikes and shops belonging to Hindus were vandalised by Islamists at Maila Depot in Mominpore. In a video shared by him, bikes and nearby shops could be spotted in a damaged condition.
Bikes and shops of Hindus vandalised by peaceful community today as they celebrate their festival at Maila Depot, Mominpore. As usual, CM isn’t talking any action against them and giving them free hand. pic.twitter.com/GJ7N2EHhpl
— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) October 9, 2022
Sukanta Majumdar further added that the Hindu community has been forced to flee after their houses came under attack in Mayurbhanj in Kolkata airport. “Police is silently watching. There is no law and order. The situation is serious but CM Mamata Banerjee is watching Hindus suffer,” he emphasised.
In Mayurbhanj, Kolkata Port, Hindus are fleeing, their houses are being attacked. Police is silently watching. There is no law and order. The situation is serious but CM @MamataOfficial is watching Hindus suffer. pic.twitter.com/Inz3SAz6OD
— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) October 9, 2022
BJP leader Pritam Sur, also shared scary visuals where miscreants were seen unleashing mayhem on the streets. He tweeted, “Bombs and bricks are being hurled at us. Even the police is forced to flee. The situation is so grim that the face of democracy is blackened on the occasion of Lakshmi Puja.”
বোমা ইট মারা হচ্ছে তাই জন্য পুলিশকেও পালাতে হচ্ছে পরিস্থিতি এতটাই খারাপ যে গণতন্ত্রের মুখে কালি মাখিয়ে দিয়েছে লক্ষ্মী পূজার দিন। pic.twitter.com/M7Xnu14pak
— PRITAM SUR (@pritamsur1) October 9, 2022
BJP (Nandigram) MLA Suvendu Adhikari shared a disturbing video from Ekbalpur police station where goons had laid siege, forcing the cops to flee. The mob was seen waving Islamic flags.
Ekbalpur Police Station seems to be captured by hooligans.
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) October 9, 2022
Mamata Police have abandoned the Station for the time being, out of fear. @chief_west if @CPKolkata is not up to the task, please seek CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) deployment.@HMOIndia kindly intervene 🙏 pic.twitter.com/3RbaCVDoLz
According to Twitter user Syed Ishtiyaque Alam, Mominpore anti-Hindu violence was the handiwork of Ghulam Asraf (Phoenix group owner), Rehan Khan (son-in-law of a TMC councilor) and Shahbaz Alam (a close aide of TMC leader Firhad Hakim).
“When we were peacefully celebrating our festival (Milad-ul-Nabi), these 3 people had a secret meeting in a bungalow opposite of Ekbalpur police station. Shahbaz gathered his followers to create a scene inside the police station,” he added.
Syed Ishtiyaque Alam questioned Shahbaz Alam, the man seen speaking through a microphone from inside the Ekbalpur police station.
He called the violent Islamists ‘enemy of our qaum’ and sought action against the Islamist elements by the TMC government.
In visuals shared by BJP leader Amit Malviya, the Islamists were seen vandalising a Puja pandal.
“On Sharad Purnima, when Bengali Hindus celebrate Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, Mominpura, a suburb of Kolkata, is witnessing communal violence. Kolkata police abandoned the Ekbalpore police station, perhaps on the orders of Home Minister Mamata Banerjee, while Islamists were on rampage,” he tweeted.
On Sharad Purnima, when Bengali Hindus celebrate Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, Mominpura, a suburb of Kolkata, is witnessing communal violence. Kolkata police abandoned the Ekbalpore police station, perhaps on the orders of Home Minister Mamata Banerjee, while Islamists were on rampage. pic.twitter.com/hdNCd5wpLg
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) October 9, 2022
While speaking about the development, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari remarked, “They say, bad habits are like iron chains; too light to be felt until they are too heavy to carry. Incorrigible people also change with the change in Administration, as witnessed in UP. Their time would also come…”
Suvendu Adhikari seeks deployment of Central Forces
To protect the Hindu community, which has been attacked by Islamists, Suvendu Adhikari has written to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and sought urgent deployment of central forces.
“I am compelled to write this letter to you at this hour because the gravity of the situation has prompted this urgency. The Hindu community has come under attack in the Khidirpore Mominpur area of Kolkata on the eve of Lakshmi Puja,” the BJP leader informed Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
He emphasised,”Hooligans and anti-socials have vandalised many shops and bikes belonging to Hindus.” Suvendu Adhikari pointed out that the current state of violence against Hindus in Mominpore was reminiscent of past attacks in Howrah, Nadia and Murshidabad districts.
I have written to Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji & Hon’ble Governor Shri La Ganesan Ji requesting them to urgently deploy Central Forces in the wake of Mominpur violence & ransacking of Ekbalpur Police Station before the Law & Order situation of WB gets out of hand pic.twitter.com/yr3lB1MaJB
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) October 9, 2022
“The State Government has already meekly surrendered in front of the wrath of the goons, who have taken over the Ekbalpur Police Station. If morning shows the day, then the day definitely is gloomy,” the BJP firebrand leader pointed out.
While highlighting the failure of the State government in maintaining law and order situation, Adhikari said, “I urge you to kindly intervene at this hour and deploy Central forces such as the CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces), so that the spark can be extinguished before it turns into a wildfire.
“Kindly act on the situation as soon as possible so that the peace-loving Hindu community is protected, especially those who live in locations where they are in minority as per the demography of the area,” he concluded.
Islamists go berserk in West Bengal over Nupur Sharama saga
Violent protests by Muslims, demanding death for ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her comments on Prophet Mohammad, continued for three consecutive days in Howrah in June this year.
This was in open defiance of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s appeal to them to protest in Delhi and in other states. Protests and arson attacks took place in Howrah, despite the presence of police forces.
There were incidents of violence by mobs of Islamists in several parts of the country in the name of protest against Nupur Sharma’s so-called blasphemous statement. A clash broke out between the police and the Islamists at Panchla Bazar in Howrah on June 11 this year.
The miscreants pelted stones at the police while the cops responded by lobbying gas shells. The violent mob also vandalized some properties and set others ablaze.
Violent attacks against the Hindu community has been reported from Bengal multiple times over the years.
