BJP's Jyotirmay Singh Mahato urges Amit Shah to impose AFSPA in Murshidabad

New Delhi [India], April 13 (ANI): BJP Lok Sabha MP from West Bengal, Jyotirmay Singh Mahato has on Sunday written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting that the affected border districts of the State be declared as "disturbed areas" under AFSPA due to the alleged repeated communal attacks on Hindus.
This came after violence that erupted in West Bengal's Murshidabad district in protests against the Waqf Amendment Act, with clashes between demonstrators and police resulting in stone-pelting and torched police vehicles.
In his letter, Mahato said that districts like Murshidabad, Malda, Nadia, and South 24 Parganas have seen repeated attacks on the Hindu community.
He claimed that over 86 Hindu homes and shops were looted and destroyed in Murshidabad, and civilians, including Hargobindo Das and his son, were killed.
"In Murshidabad district alone, recent weeks have seen the looting and destruction of over 86 Hindu shops and homes, murder of innocent civilians like Hargobindo Das and his son Chandan Das, and targeted economic sabotage such as the burning of betel leaf plantations in Jhaubona village. These incidents are not isolated. Similar unrest has unfolded in Malda, Nadia, and South 24 Parganas, where repeated communal riots, often aligned with TMC's appeasement politics, have left the Hindu population vulnerable and voiceless," the letter reads.
He also mentioned that in Jhaubona village, betel leaf farms were set on fire as part of targeted economic attacks. According to him, similar violence has been happening in other districts, and he blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for not taking action.
Mahato said the situation got worse after the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed, leading to violent attacks on Hindu families, government offices, and even police. He noted that the Calcutta High Court had to step in and order the deployment of central forces, showing how serious the situation had become.
In his letter, the MP compared the current situation to the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, saying that Bengali Hindus are now facing fear, violence, and neglect from the government, "I must draw your attention to a haunting resemblance. The fear, isolation, and targeted violence that Bengali Hindus in these districts are facing today echoes the Kashmiri Pandit exodus of 1990. The tragic silence of the administration, deliberate targeting of a religious community, and propaganda-driven unrest are all too familiar.
He requested the Home Minister to take urgent action by applying AFSPA in the affected districts to restore peace, prevent more violence, and protect the Hindu community," the letter reads.
Mahato ended the letter by saying that the Hindu community in Bengal has suffered for too long and needs the Centre's help before the situation becomes even worse. (ANI)