Prohibitory orders were imposed in parts of Ekbalpore Police Station in Kolkata on Monday after clashes erupted between two communities in the area late on Sunday evening. According to locals, trouble started on the night of October 8 over putting up flags in the Mayurbhanj area of Mominpur in the city when Milad-un-Nabi was being observed.
The next evening on Sunday (October 9) clashes erupted between two groups. Several houses were ransacked in Mayurbhanj and Bhukailash Road area of the locality. A number of vehicles and motorbikes were attacked. A group of people also gathered at the local Ekbalpur police station and vandalised the police station. There was stone pelting, and according to locals, crude bombs were hurled late on Sunday evening. More than 20 people have been arrested for the violence. There was no report of any death or serious injury.
The notification issued by the Commissioner of Kolkata Police Vineet Kumar Goyal prohibited assembly of “five or more persons, carrying of lathi, any lethal or other dangerous weapons or doing of act which is likely to cause a breach of the peace and disturbances of the public tranquillity within the said area” from October 10 to October 12. Tension prevailed in the area on Monday and shops were shut and there were fewer people on roads. There was a large deployment of police and nobody was allowed inside violence affected areas.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari sought the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to contain the situation. Mr. Adhikari, who visited Lalbazar Police Headquarters and Raj Bhawan alleged that three senior IPS officers were injured in the violence.
“The @BJP4Bengal Legislature Party has submitted the following Memorandum to Hon’ble Governor Shri La Ganesan Ji, requesting him to take urgent steps, such as deploying Central Forces, forming a High Level Committee, NIA investigation etc in the wake of Mominpur violence,” the Leader of Opposition said on Twitter.
State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar was detained by the Kolkata Police and prevented from visiting the Mominpur area.
The BJP leaders hit the streets in protest against the incident. A number of BJP leaders also shared videos allegedly relating to the incident on social media.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary Md. Salim said that an ‘action replay’ of what is happening in the rest of the country is occurring in West Bengal also. Targeting the Trinamool Congress and the BJP over the incident, Mr. Salim said that to divert attention from the corruption both parties are indulging in politics of riots. Mr. Salim said that BJP was trying to create a further divide by hitting streets on the issue. The CPI(M) leader thanked the locals of Mominpur area for exercising restraint.
While there was no official word from the Kolkata Police or the West Bengal Government about the flare-up, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that the BJP and the CPI(M) were trying to incite people and create lawlessness. Mr. Ghosh described the incident as ‘unfortunate’ and said that the administration was prompt in its action.
