Local administration on Tuesday imposed CrPC 144 and suspended mobile internet as well as broadband services till May 17
–Suman Bhattacharyya
Communal clashes erupt in Telinipara, Hooghly amid Corona virus
crisis (image courtesy Indiablooms.com)
crisis (image courtesy Indiablooms.com)
Amid the global pandemic of COVID-19 and the resultant lockdown, communal clashes erupted at Telenipara, Bhadreswar in the Hooghly district of West Bengal on May 10, 2020. The cops have arrested 13 people for inciting communal violence in the area. On Monday (May 11), Locket Chatterjee, Member of Parliament from Hooghly, tried to reach the spot. She was, however, stopped by the police in the vicinity of Telenipara.
The disturbances revived again on Tuesday (May 12). A section of the local Hindu population complained that they had been attacked, their property vandalised and their houses set on fire. The administration has imposed Section 144 on the disturbed area since Tuesday (May 12) evening. The internet facilities in the regions of Chandan Nagar and Bhadreswar have been suspended since Tuesday and the state Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, has claimed stern action will be taken against the offenders.
A group of migrant workers had returned home to Telenipara last week. In the mixed habitation of Hindus and Muslims, incidentally, a section of the Hindus insisted that the Muslim workers should go for the state-administered quarantine, instead of placing themselves in home quarantine as suggested by the authorities. Firoz Khan, the local Councillor of Ward no.14 in the area, supported the Muslim workers. He ratified they could remain in home quarantine. Discontent between the two community groups continued to escalate until, on Sunday evening, it resulted in a communal clash with the local temple being vandalised and the idol mutilated.
On May 12, the Muslims alleged that they were provoked and teased by the Hindu neighbours who called them ‘Corona’. Such provocations led to confrontation and a few Hindu houses were set on fire. Ms Locket Chatterjee, who again tried to reach Telenipara yesterday, was stopped by the police. A state BJP team, comprising Ms Chatterjee, Arjun Singh, Mukul Roy and Sabyasachi Dutta, submitted a memorandum to Shri Jagdeep Dhankar, Governor of West Bengal, on May 12 evening.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee meanwhile continues to reiterate her promise to suppress all attempts of communal disruption in the State.
