Scene’s of destruction at Dhulian in Murshidabad. May 15, 2025.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday (May 21, 2025) said the report of a court-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the Murshidabad violence last month has exposed the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) “anti-Hindu brutality.”

At a press conference, BJP MP and spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the SIT collected details about the incidents of violence that took place between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025. “From its observations, the mask of the Trinamool Congress-INDI alliance and the so-called self-appointed champions of secularism has been completely removed,” he said.

“Firstly, it is surprising that none of those who used to question the need for war with Pakistan, stating that action should be taken only against terrorists — whereas our government acted only against terrorists — objected to the violence against the Hindus in Murshidabad. No one uttered a single word on the death of father-son Hargovind Das and Chandan Das. The same people suddenly started showing sympathy towards Pakistan after ‘Operation Sindoor’,” said Mr. Trivedi.

He claimed the SIT findings showed that the Trinamool Congress had attempted to create an illusion by propagating that outsiders were involved in the incidents. “Some of their MPs had suggested that people from other States, especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were involved. It is totally unfair, but in this finding, the name of a Trinamool Congress leader and MLA has also come up, and it has been said in the report that on April 11, all the attacks were carried out… under the instructions of local councillor Mehboob Alam, and the police and the administration did nothing,” the BJP leader said.

Addressing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Mr. Trivedi said Mr. Alam seemed to be close to her party. “The second thing that came up was that 113 houses were damaged and people had to even flee to Malda, while some leaders tried to claim that nothing significant happened…. then it was said that people want a permanent Border Security Force (BSF) camp and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for their own protection,” he said, stating that people had lost faith in the West Bengal Police.

He said the report highlighted findings that the police did not respond to distress calls from villagers. He also claimed that the assailants, who targeted Hindus in a planned manner, had their faces masked.

“If Hindus were selectively killed in Pahalgam, then in Murshidabad too, an attempt was made to selectively target Hindu houses and people…it is now clear that the West Bengal Government cannot claim that there was no violence,” said Mr. Trivedi, asking if Ms. Banerjee would take action against her leaders and also apologise for the “insulting and mocking” remarks made by her party leaders against the victims.

Published – May 21, 2025 11:32 pm IST