New Delhi:
Actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty has urged the Centre to consider imposing President’s Rule in West Bengal, citing concerns over the law and order situation in the state following a week of violence in Murshidabad district, triggered by protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
“I’ve requested many times, and I’m still requesting the Home Minister. At the very least, please deploy the military inside for two months during the elections. If they are deployed, then fair elections will happen,” Mr Chakraborty said.
Watch: BJP leader and actor Mithun Chakraborty on the imposition of President’s Rule in Bengal says, “I’ve requested many times, and I’m still requesting the Home Minister. At the very least, please deploy the military inside for two months during the elections. If they are… pic.twitter.com/x64pF7j9Mi
— IANS (@ians_india) April 19, 2025
The actor’s comments come amid communal clashes in several Muslim-majority towns like Shamsherganj, Suti, Dhulian, and Jangipur from April 8 to 12. The violence has left three people dead, hundreds arrested, and thousands displaced, forcing the state government and central agencies to intervene.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, ignoring Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s request to delay his visit, arrived in Malda on Friday. Today, he is expected to tour the violence-affected areas of Shamsherganj, Dhulian, Suti, and Jangipur in Murshidabad to assess the ground situation.
Before his scheduled visits, the Governor met displaced families at a relief camp at a school in Malda.
“I met the family members who are in this camp. I had a detailed discussion with them. I listened to their grievances and understood their feelings. Certainly, proactive action will be taken,” Mr Bose said.
The Governor claimed that many of the women he spoke to had described being physically assaulted and abused.
“They told me that they were intimidated. Miscreants entered their houses, physically assaulted them and used abusive language. All of them told me they want protection and security. They also want their houses, which were damaged and gutted, to be rebuilt. And they spoke of the need for livelihood opportunities,” he said.
#WATCH | West Bengal: National Commission for Women’s Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar and her team reached Murshidabad’s Dhuliyan and met the victims in the violence-hit areas pic.twitter.com/wFxZT8oXUk
— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2025
A team from the National Commission for Women (NCW), led by Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, visited the relief camps and met families affected by the unrest. Speaking to the media, Ms Rahatkar said, “Everyone should be sensitive towards women, and this sensitivity can only ensure justice for women. This kind of situation occurs when there is a lack of sensitivity.”
Ms Rahatkar, part of an NCW-constituted probe committee, is on a three-day visit to Malda and Murshidabad to investigate the impact of the violence on women and children.