"Mamata pretends to be secular, doing drama": Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Murshidabad violence

New Delhi [India], April 13 (ANI): Congress leader and former MP from Murshidabad's Berhampore Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday over the recent violence in Murshidabad linked to protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, accusing her of "doing drama" and pretending to be secular.
Speaking with ANI, Chowdhury said that Mamata Banerjee "pretends to be secular" and "giving the BJP an opportunity to call common Muslims jihadis."
"We all know that the BJP will do communal polarisation. The West Bengal chief minister is doing drama, she pretends to be secular. The Bengal government is giving the BJP an opportunity to call common Muslims jihadis, and who benefits from this? The TMC and the BJP benefit from this," he said.
"I believe riots happen where the government wants. Once it happened in Godhra because the government wanted it. It is happening in Bengal too because the government wants it," he added.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury further said that Congress is "trying to ensure peace" from outside.
Three people were killed in the Murshidabad district following violent clashes linked to protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, the police said on Saturday.
West Bengal Police have arrested 150 individuals in connection with the Murshidabad violence. According to a police statement, adequate police forces have been deployed in Samserganj, Dhuliyan, Suti, and other affected areas to maintain order.
BJP MP from Purulia Jyotirmay Singh Mahato has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, and South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal, citing a deteriorating security situation and alleging targeted violence against the Hindu community.
On Saturday, a special bench of the Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of central forces "immediately" in Murshidabad in the wake of widespread violence in the district during the protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act that resulted in three deaths so far. (ANI)