By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Protesting against the upcoming campus of Aligarh Muslim University, a group of BJP supporters on 31st August rampaged the office of Block Development Officer in Murshidabad, pelted stone on policemen and set afire a police van. About 30 miscreants were arrested but most of them were released by evening.
According to Police, after a communal speech by State President of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr Rahul Sinha BJP supporters suddenly turned violent and started throwing stone at the BDO office where they had gathered under the banner of ‘United Committee Against AMU Campus’ to demand halt to the construction work at the campus. Stone-pelting mob even ransacked the BDO office, smashed chair, table, almirah and window panes and tried to set ablaze the entire office. However, Superintendent of Police of Murshidabad Mr Humayun Kabir reached the spot with huge police force. Police had to fire tear gas shells and resort to baton charge to control the situation.
BJP supporters under the banner of ‘United Committee Against the AMU campus’ set afire a police van in front of Suti-1 BDO office in Murshidabad on 31st August, 2012.
SP Humayun Kabir later told the media that a group of BJP supporters had gathered in front of Suti-1 BDO office to submit a memorandum to the BDO Samir Das to oppose the Aligarh Muslim University campus at Ahiran, under Suti-1 Block of Murshidabad. But the BJP supporters started vandalism. They set fire police van and pelted stone on police team, wounding 10 of them. Some 30 BJP supporters were arrested but later most of them released.
Local people said that a BJP supporter was injured when a bomb in his hand exploded. He is admitted in Jangipur Sub divisional Hospital.
TCN talked to BJP state president Rahul Sinha to get his comment. He said he was demanding that fertile farmland should not be allowed for construction of the buildings for the proposed AMU campus there, and he demanded that the acquired land should be returned to the farmers. On the violent attack on BDO office by his supporters, Mr Rahul Sinha and leaders of `United Committee Against AMU campus’ Mr Madan Ghosh and Krishna Ghosh claimed that they were present there only for 20 minutes. He alleged that rival parties Congress, Trinamul Congress and RSP provoked the police and they used baton charge.
Local MLA Imani Biswas and Cong leader Sohrab Hossain criticized the BJP activities for opposing AMU campus in Murshidabad. BJP supporters attacked the BDO office with explosive materials and in a hand bomb blast a BJP supporter wounded himself, they claimed. However, BJP president Rahul Sinha told TCN that the injured BJP supporter admitted in Jangipur Hospital was attacked by locals. He claimed that still more than 10 BJP supporters are in custody after the violence. Rahul Sinha opposed the establishment of AMU campus in Murshidabad.
The state Government has already acquired 288 acres land. After order from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee construction work started on 273 acres leaving aside the disputed 15 acres on 6th August 2012
SDPI state president Taidul Islam said, BJP has always been trying to stop the AMU campus in Murshidabad. BJP state president Rahul Sinha several times organized meetings against AMU campus where he delivered hateful and communal speech. Islam demanded the Murshidabad administration to restrict entry of State BJP leader in the AMU campus area.