BJP Lok Sabha MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in West Bengal’s border districts, including Murshidabad, in response to what he describes as repeated communal attacks on Hindus.
This appeal follows violent clashes that broke out in Murshidabad during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, where demonstrators reportedly torched police vehicles and pelted stones at law enforcement personnel.
In his letter, Mahato claimed that over 86 Hindu homes and shops were looted or destroyed in Murshidabad alone, and pointed to the deaths of civilians like Hargobindo Das and his son Chandan Das as evidence of growing lawlessness. He also alleged economic targeting, such as the burning of betel leaf plantations in Jhaubona village, aimed at crippling Hindu livelihoods.
Mahato extended his concerns to other districts including Malda, Nadia, and South 24 Parganas, where he alleged similar incidents have occurred, blaming what he called “appeasement politics” by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for emboldening communal unrest.
“The fear, isolation, and targeted violence that Bengali Hindus in these districts are facing today echoes the Kashmiri Pandit exodus of 1990,” Mahato wrote, calling the current atmosphere one of “propaganda-driven unrest” and accusing the state administration of remaining silent amid rising hostilities.
Highlighting that the Calcutta High Court had already ordered the deployment of central forces in Murshidabad, Mahato said the situation had spiraled far beyond what local law enforcement could handle.
He concluded the letter with an urgent plea for the Centre to declare these border districts as “disturbed areas” under AFSPA, stating, “The Hindu community in Bengal has suffered for far too long. It’s time the Centre intervenes before this crisis escalates beyond control.”
