Bengal Governor sends communique to Centre on Murshidabad situation

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose has sent a communique to the Ministry of Home Affairs giving updates on the current situation in Murshidabad, which has been on the boil for the last few days after protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

In the communique, the Governor provided the details of what happened in Murshidabad during the last few days, and also how tension flared up in certain pockets of the district, according to sources in Raj Bhavan.

The sources said that the communique was based on information collected by the Governor’s core team and details passed down to his office from the state secretariat.

It is learnt that the communique also contains the details of the confidential communication between the Governor and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the prevailing situation.

Meanwhile, the state government has decided to depute 23 police officers currently posted in different districts of West Bengal, with special skills and proven track records in handling law and order situations in such cases, to Murshidabad.

The team will be operating from Murshidabad till the situation becomes normal.

Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar has already reached Murshidabad district, coordinating with the district administration and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel over the prevailing situation.

Inspector General (South Bengal Frontier) of Border Security Force K. S. Shekhawat also reached Murshidabad on Sunday.

The CAPF personnel also conducted route marches at different troubled pockets in the state on Sunday morning.

The CAPF personnel have been deployed in Murshidabad with special concentration on nine especially sensitive pockets following an order of a special division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Saturday evening.

The total number of arrests till Sunday afternoon is 150. The death toll because of the violence has reportedly increased to four.

IANS