Kolkata:
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has announced an official visit to violence-hit Murshidabad, declaring his intent to “impose peace at any cost.” The Governor is set to begin a two-day ground-level assessment today, despite strong reservations from the state leadership, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“I want to go to Murshidabad,” Mr Bose said in an interview with NDTV. “What transpired there is shocking. Such instances should never have happened. I want a reality check on the field. Peace must be restored – and it will be, at any cost.”
Mr Bose’s statement, which comes just ahead of a National Commission for Women (NCW) fact-finding mission to the district, comes amid heightened tension and scrutiny. On Thursday, the Calcutta High Court heard a petition seeking an extension of the central forces’ deployment in Murshidabad and the transfer of the probe to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The state submitted a report outlining an escalation of violence during anti-Waqf Act protests, stating that both civilians and police were attacked by mobs wielding deadly weapons.
Mr Bose said he had been regularly briefing authorities and would decide on filing a report with the Ministry of Home Affairs following his visit. “This is the darkest hour before dawn,” he said. “Once I realise that peace has been restored, I will be the happiest person and make my report accordingly.”
Asked whether his visit was a prelude to recommending President’s Rule in the state, Bose was careful to avoid a direct response. “As Governor, I should be circumspect,” he said. “I don’t want to speak about President’s Rule. It is Mamata Banerjee’s opinion that I should not go. But I want to. I have my own way of functioning. I want to assess things myself.”
Chief Minister Banerjee, while claiming that normalcy was gradually returning, urged the Governor to postpone his visit.
“I would request non-locals not to visit Murshidabad right now. I would appeal to the governor to wait for a few more days as confidence-building measures are underway. I could have gone there, but then others would have also said they would visit, but the situation is not conducive now. An SIT has been formed to investigate the unrest in Murshidabad. I will visit the district at an appropriate time. I would request the governor not to visit the riot-hit district now,” Ms Banerjee said.
The Calcutta High Court, which heard a state report on Thursday, suggested the formation of a three-member oversight panel including representatives from the National Human Rights Commission, the West Bengal State Human Rights Commission, and the State Legal Services Authority. The panel will monitor the restoration of peace and the rehabilitation of displaced persons in the district.
The state’s report claimed that the protests began peacefully on April 4 across police station areas in Jangipur but escalated dramatically on April 8, when a 5,000-strong mob blocked NH-12 at Umarpur. It described attacks on police with bricks, iron rods, sharp weapons, and firebombs, along with arson targeting government vehicles.
On April 11, fresh violence was reported from Suti and Samsherganj, including vandalism of public and private property. The police admitted to opening fire at Sajur More in Suti in self-defence, in order to protect both officers and civilians.
Police have arrested 278 people across Murshidabad so far.
The Governor will begin his trip from Malda, where he will visit refugee camps housing those displaced by the communal violence. He will then proceed to the worst-affected areas in Murshidabad and is expected to return either Friday night or Saturday morning.
