Murshidabad violence pre-planned: Bengal Cong chief Subhankar Sarkar

Kolkata: West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhankar Sarkar on Saturday visited the violence-hit areas of Murshidabad district and claimed that the riots were "pre-planned" and that no local Muslims were involved in it.

Sarkar, who was accompanied by other senior members of the party, including Malda Dakshin MP Isha Khan Choudhury and AICC observer Amba Prasad to Shamsherganj, spoke to the victims' families and demanded that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should provide them jobs and take responsibility for the education of their children.

"Here (in Murshidabad), people of every community stay together. The local Muslims are not involved in the riots. This is preplanned violence. There are people who are trying to spread violence in Bengal because of binary politics," Sarkar added.

"The CM must provide jobs to the families of the victims and take care of the education of their children. How long will Rs 10 lakh compensation last?" he questioned.

The Bengal CM had announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the family members of the three persons who were killed in the violence related to Waqf protests in Murshidabad district.

The Congress leader further said if the state government had taken a strict stand, such violence could have been averted.

"...I am asking, who set the fire? Was it the BJP? Then who gave them the matchbox? Had the state administration taken a strict stand, such a thing might not have happened," he said.

On the demands of the affected families to set up permanent BSF outposts in the area, Sarkar said the Congress leaders would support them entirely.

"Affected people can make any demand. Our duty is to stay beside them and that should be the duty of all political parties. Our party leaders and supporters are with them. We are with the Hindus and the Muslims," he said.

Three people were killed during the recent clashes that erupted in the Muslim-majority areas of Shamsherganj, Suti, Dhulian and Jangipur in Murshidabad district.

Following the violence, many people fled their homes and took shelter in relief camps set up in the neighbouring Malda district.

The violence occurred amidst widespread protests against the central government's recent amendments to the Waqf Act.