Communal riots turn Bengal's Baduria into battlefield, Central forces deployed

Since Sunday night, Baduria and its adjoining areas, including Swarupnagar and Basirhat, have become a warzone as two communities clashed with each other over a social media post, reports said.

According to reports, a 12th standard student from Baduria on Sunday posted a photo on Facebook which allegedly hurt the religious sentiment of another community.

After the Facebook post went viral, people of a community  started agitation at several locations under Baduria Police Station limits.

Besides engaging in a clash with the people from another community, they allegedly ransacked several houses, shops and vehicles there.

When police reached the scene, they were also attacked by the agitators. Few police vehicles were vandalized and set on fire while few policemen, including a sub-inspector, were seriously injured during the clash.

Later a heavy police force along with Rapid Action Force (RAF) rushed to the spot, but the situation at the violence-hit areas is still tense, according to the latest update.

While North 24 Parganas SP Bhaskar Mukherjee refused to speak on the matter, another senior official of the district police told IBNS, "Situation remains tense at violence-hit locations in Basirhat sub-division area. A heavy police force have been deployed in the spots to maintain law and order and to avoid further untoward situation."

"We have arrested the boy, whose Facebook post allegedly led to the violence. He was produced before a local court today and was remanded to four-day police custody," the official added.

Locals claimed that since the clash erupted, family members of the class-XII student, who posted a controversial picture on the social site, fled from the area and their house was vandalized and torched on Monday night.

Commenting on the incident, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "A Facebook post triggered the violence as per reports and police have booked the accused."

"I can't order police to open fire on mass, local administration is taking restrained action to avoid more casualties," Banerjee added. "My government will never tolerate any communal violence in the state, we will take strict action against those who are trying to trigger a riot here."

Meanwhile, BJP Bengal president Dilip Ghosh said that police played an inactive role while countering the clash.

"Several persons were injured in the violence and a large number of people went on a three-day-long rampage. If police took an active role, this violence could be handled well and brought under control easily," Dilip Ghosh told IBNS.

Meanwhile Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday blasted the state's governor for what she called a "threat issued to her over phone on law and order situation."

While Mamata Banerjee warned the religious leaders with strong action, she chose to take on Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi saying that she never felt so humiliated and at one point felt like quitting.

"He is a constitutional person nominated by the Centre. But he is speaking like a block president of the BJP. He disrespected me. I am telling the religious leaders that I have protected them but I will not tolerate if I am humiliated like this for their actions," said Banerjee at the same breath warning the perpetrators of the riots.

She said those who hit the streets since yesterday following a Facebook post should restrain themselves or face consequences.

"I hate those who started the riots from a Facebook post. I respect only religious bodies like Ram Krishna Mission or Bharat Sevasram who are responsible," she said.

She said the riots are serious issue and she would handle it seriously. She said some of the images being shown are fake too.

She said she was elected by the people and not functioning at the mercy of anyone like the Governor.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)