By IANS
Kolkata : The Kolkata Police is trying to pinpoint the Islamic groups behind the unprecedented rioting in the West Bengal capital Wednesday, which forced the deployment of army personnel and an imposition of curfew.
With the names of terror outfits like the Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI) and the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) cropping up in reports, the police think there was more to the riots than just a spontaneous outburst of Muslims against controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen’s presence in India.
“I don’t want to name any organization right now. But we are investigating the cause of the riots and involvements of the individuals and groups behind it,” Kolkata Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakraborty told IANS.
“We have arrested 68 people so far. They are either in judicial or police custody. We will find out the specific involvement of individuals and groups,” he said Friday, hinting that the attacks were pre-planned.
A news report quoting intelligence sources said the West Bengal Government was told about the visit of leaders of an influential Muslim organisation based in north India to three mosques at Beniapukur, Entally and Karaya police station areas — the parts of Kolkata that were worst affected by the rioting — for meetings with local religious leaders.
The All India Minority Forum (AIMF), a nondescript organisation spearheaded by small time Congress leader Idris Ali, began a roadblock Wednesday demanding the ouster of Nasreen and condemning the Nandigram violence. Soon, the protests degenerated into ugly rioting which spread across the Muslim ghettos in Kolkata’s central district.
On Wednesday, the city saw vehicles set ablaze, children scampering in fear and raging crowds on the streets attacking the police with bricks and soda water bottles.
However, no untoward incident has been reported from anywhere in Kolkata since Wednesday night.
“Everything is peaceful and there is no incident anywhere. Two columns of the army are still on standby,” Chakraborty said.