"Mamata Banerjee has given shelter to rioters," says BJP MP Tarun Chugh on Murshidabad violence

New Delhi [India], April 26 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tarun Chugh on Saturday accused the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government of giving "shelter to rioters" following the recent violence in Murshidabad, claiming its silence proves complicity.
"The West Bengal government's silence on the premeditated and planned attack on Hindus in Murshidabad is proof that Mamata Banerjee's government has given shelter to the rioters," Chugh told ANI.
Stepping up his attack on the West Bengal Chief Minister, Chugh said that Bengal has been "ruined and disgraced" under Banerjee's leadership due to "atrocities on Hindus."
"Mamata Banerjee has ruined and disgraced Bengal with her atrocities and misrule... This (Murshidabad violence) is a blot on humanity. Her politics of appeasement have given a free hand to criminals in the state," he added.
Chugh's comments come after the National Commission for Women expressed deep concern over the recent "communal violence" in Murshidabad and Malda districts, where women and girls were "subjected to unspeakable acts of sexual violence, physical assault, and rape threats."
"The National Commission for Women expresses its deep concern and anguish over the large-scale communal violence that recently occurred in Murshidabad and Malda districts of West Bengal. An Inquiry Committee led by the Chairperson, Vijaya Rahatkar, visited the affected regions and recorded harrowing testimonies of survivors, particularly women and girls, who have suffered disproportionately due to the targeted violence," as per an official release.
According to observations by the NCW, the communal violence had a particularly devastating impact on women and girls. Many were subjected to unspeakable acts of sexual violence, physical assault, and rape threats. Survivors described how they were dragged out of their homes, brutally attacked, and in some instances, told to send their daughters to be raped.
The trauma inflicted on these women is severe, and the psychological, emotional, and physical toll will be long-lasting. Forced displacement has further pushed these women into vulnerable situations, violating their fundamental human rights and dignity, the release added.
Violence erupted on April 11 in Murshidabad during a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The violence resulted in two deaths, several injuries, and property damage. Thousands of people fled their homes in search of safety.
The protest later spread to other districts, including Malda, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly, where incidents of arson, stone-pelting, and road blockades were reported. (ANI)