Renewed Unrest Erupts in Murshidabad Following Migrant Worker’s Death
Violence in Murshidabad Sparks Protests
On Saturday, fresh unrest was reported in Murshidabad, West Bengal, just a day after violence erupted in the district due to the death of a migrant worker in Jharkhand.
The tensions began on Friday following the death of 36-year-old Alauddin Sheikh, a migrant from the Beldanga area.
Family members of Sheikh alleged that he was beaten to death and then hanged to make it appear as a suicide, according to reports.
Protests erupted upon the return of his body to the village.
On Saturday, demonstrators blocked National Highway 12, causing significant traffic disruptions for several hours. They also vandalized a railway gate and attempted to halt train services on the Sealdah-Lalgola route.
Protesters voiced concerns that migrant workers from Murshidabad frequently face violence and unsafe conditions in other states due to their Bengali-speaking identity.
Police intervened to disperse the crowd, employing lathi charges in some areas, as stated by Kumar Sunny Raj, the superintendent of police for Murshidabad.
He mentioned that approximately 15 to 20 individuals have been detained in connection with the violence over the last two days.
Since the unrest began, more than a dozen people have been injured, including two journalists who were attacked.
A local journalist, Soma Maity, suffered injuries while covering the protests, and cameraperson Ranjit Mahato was hospitalized with head injuries and internal bleeding.
In response to the situation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that while she does not condone the violence, she believes it is beyond her control and urged people to avoid the mob.
Banerjee remarked, “I did not cause the incident. I did not ask people to go into the mob.”
She alleged that there is a political conspiracy at play, claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party is inciting unrest in the state.
“Migrant workers are being tortured,” she stated. “The BJP is instigating riots, and behind this, there are agencies of the [Union] government of India.”
BJP leader Sambit Patra accused Banerjee of trying to create divisions in Bengal through “appeasement politics,” asserting that the violence in Murshidabad is being justified by her as a reaction from minorities.