Bengal Governor rejects CM Mamata's request to 'avoid visiting Murshidabad for time being'

Kolkata, April 17: West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has decided to leave for the communal violence-hit Murshidabad district on Thursday night, ignoring requests from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee earlier in the day to refrain from visiting the district till the time the situation there becomes totally normal.

Insiders from Raj Bhavan, Kolkata said that the Governor would be leaving for Murshidabad on Thursday night only. After reaching there, he would have a night stay at District Circuit House and on Friday morning he would be visiting the different pockets in this minority-dominated district, which had been on the boil for almost the entire week after protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act turned violent.

Earlier on Thursday, the Chief Minister, through mediapersons, appealed to the Governor not to visit Murshidabad for the time being.

“I would request the Governor to wait for some more days before going to Murshidabad. I could have gone there. But I refrained since my visit there will encourage others to go. A team from the West Bengal Commission for Women also wanted to go there. But I asked them to wait for a few more days," the Chief Minister said earlier in the day.

At the same time, the Chief Minister said that she would visit Murshidabad only after the situation becomes normal there.

Meanwhile, the ADG law & order (South Bengal range), Supratim Sarkar, on Thursday evening informed media persons that a review would be done to check whether there was any intelligence failure in getting advance information about the brewing unrest at the different pockets in Murshidabad.

He also said that a total of 60 FIRs have been registered in the matter and the number of arrests in this connection has increased to 274. He also informed that the police are also giving special importance to bringing back people displaced from their homes because of violence and the return of 75 such individuals has been ensured.

“We will ensure that they can reside at their respective homes peacefully and without fear. Now the police and CAPF camps are there. So there is nothing to get worried about,” Sarkar said.

Reader Comments

R

Rahul K.

The Governor should respect the CM's request. This isn't about politics but public safety. Visiting now might escalate tensions further. 🤔

P

Priya M.

Maybe the Governor wants to show solidarity with the affected people? It's a tough call but his presence could help calm things down if handled properly.

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Amit S.

Respectful criticism: Both sides need better coordination. The Governor and CM should have private discussions instead of communicating through media. This public back-and-forth isn't helping the situation.

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Sunita R.

The most important thing is helping those displaced families return home safely. Glad to hear 75 have already been helped! Hope the situation stabilizes soon. 🙏

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Neeraj P.

274 arrests is significant! The police seem to be taking strong action. Hopefully this sends a message that violence won't be tolerated.

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Tanya G.

The intelligence failure review is crucial. We need to understand how these situations can be prevented in the future. Prevention is always better than cure!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.