Murshidabad anti-Hindu riots: Victims narrate how Muslim mobs spat and urinated in front of temples, vandalised idols, role played by TMC councillors and more
The Muslim-dominated Murshidabad district has witnessed large-scale incidents of violence, vandalism, arson and targeted attacks against the Hindu community on 11th April in the garb of protests against the newly enacted Waqf Amendment Act.
OpIndia has reported in detail how Hindus were selectively targeted, including their homes, shops and temples. The carnage began soon after Jumma Namaz on 11th April in the name of ‘protests’ against the new Waqf law and continued till 12th April.
The situation became so grim that 1000s of Hindus had to flee their homes in Murshidabad to the nearby Malda district via boats.
On 22nd April, a team of journalists from Insight visited the violence-torn Murshidabad and met Hindu families who lost everything in the mayhem unleashed by Muslim mobs.
The victims narrated chilling testimonials of murder, attacks on Hindu temples and homes and the role played by mosques in supervising the violence.
They also highlighted the inaction of the local police, the complicity of TMC councillors in the violence and how party affiliation did not matter to the frenzied Muslim mobs.
All in unison pointed out that their Hindu identity was the reason for being attacked by the extremists in the 30-minute-long ground report published by Insight on its YouTube channel on 1st May.
Parul Das narrates how her husband and son were killed by a Muslim mob, police showed up after 4 hours
The Insight team met the family of Harogobindo Das, who was hacked to death alongside his son Chandan Das by a Muslim mob on 11th April.
A total of 4 extremists, namely Kalu Nadar, Dildar Nadar, Inzmam Ul Haque and Ziaul Sheikh, were arrested in connection with the murder of the father-son duo.
Parul Das, the widow of Harogobindo Das, informed, “First, they broke that shop. They looted everything and then went away. Later, they came back and destroyed our kitchen. They then pelted stones, threw glasses and bottles on our rooftop. They pelted stones and bricks from the other side of the fence. When they came for the 3rd time, they were armed with spades, shovels and other sharp weapons.”
She narrated how her husband and son were hacked to death by a Muslim mob. “The father and the son were standing there. They dragged the father-son duo out. The father was hacked near the drain. My son was killed just underneath that tree.”
On being asked whether she received any help from the police, Parul Das stated, “No, nothing. The murders would not have happened during the third time (if cops were there). They (the police) came 4 hours later.”
The helpless woman informed that she was able to identify the perpetrators from the visuals highlighted on TV. “We are in a state of terror. We want BSF camp,” she said.
Parul Das narrated that she cannot stay at her own house anymore since it has no doors. On being asked why her husband and son were killed, the woman stated, “How do I say? We did not have enmity with anyone.”
It was recently that Parul Das and her daughter-in-law Pinki Das are being harassed by Trinamool Congress goons and the West Bengal police.
Hindu victim exposes the role played by TMC councillor in Murshidabad violence
A Hindu man named Dipen Mondal highlighted the complicity of the TMC councillor in the violence perpetrated by the Muslim mob. “The councillor was present. If he wanted, he could have stopped the carnage,” the Hindu man informed the Insight team.
“Amirul (TMC MLA from Samserganj) had come. He knew everything. After he came, there was an attack from this side. Those who were there with him also took part in the vandalism and loot,” he added.
Mondal added, “If the councillor did not know, how did the villagers come here and carry out destruction? There is Mehboob Alam. How are people from his village coming and attacking our village? If he had told them no, they wouldn’t have come.”
He narrated how he and his family had to flee his village and settle in Malda’s Par Lalpur for 7-9 days. “This is happening to your own people in West Bengal, who are forced to go from one place to another. Others could come. But she (Mamata) did not get time?” the Hindu man asked.
He informed that the police chased them away from Malda and sent them back to Murshidabad. “They forcibly sent us back…Police told us that they will file cases. They told us to go away. They told us we cannot keep you here. They gave many excuses to remove us from that place,” Mondol emphasised.
He also highlighted how Muslims broke into a temple and attempted to break into a nearby shop.
A Hindu woman named Banawasi Mandal lamented, “If we have a BSF camp here, it will make our lives easier. We want compensation for the damage caused. There is nothing at home. No rice, dal and anything to wear. Everything has been turned to ashes.”
Muslims spat and urinated in front of temple, forced brother-in-law to chant ‘Allah’ and ‘Bismillah’: Victim Jharna Mondal
A Hindu woman named Jharna Mondal narrated how Muslims attacked her brother-in-law and vandalised a temple on Saturday (12th April). She added that the mob also spat and urinated in front of the temple.
“They spat and urinated in front of the temple…At least 2000 to 5000 people came and vandalised this temple…They broke this temple on Saturday,” she was heard saying.
Mondal informed the Insight team that her brother-in-law (Devar) was assaulted and forced to chant ‘Allah’ and Bismillah.
“6 people held my brother-in-law (Devar) and assaulted him brutally at that place. They forced him to say ‘Allah’ and ‘Bismillah’. All of them told my brother-in-law to leave the village,” she emphasised.
Mondal said that neither the police nor the village Pradhan came to their rescue.
“There was no police. There were 5 personnel who ran away out of fear…They (Muslims) told the police to flee or else they would kill them. No one helped us—neither the Pradhan nor the police. I fell on their feet, begged them to come and protect us, but they did not come. Our entire village pleaded with them and held their feet,” she stated.
Mondal further emphasised that the Border Security Force (BSF) saved them, and the villagers would have been dead without them.
“The BSF has rescued us. If BSF had not come, then we would not have been alive. We would have been dead. We want BSF camp. We want protection. We do not want Mamata’s police,” she concluded.
Victim Samar Das narrates how mosques incited Muslim mob, Hindus being persecuted despite being TMC members
A Hindu man from Jafrabad, Samar Das, also told the Insight team how Muslim mobs laid siege to his house.
“A mob entered my house, pelted stones and bricks. I fell after being hit on the head. They then entered my house, broke my almirah and took away 2 bhori gold and ₹20000 cash. I had withdrawn the money from Bandhan Bank for my eye surgery. They put a knife to my wife’s throat and asked her to hand over valuables and earrings,” he emphasised.
Das added, “They have issued threats to set my house on fire. They had hurled bombs at my house. My two brothers have been injured. My daughter also got hurt in the bomb attack. We are safer for the time being due to the presence of the BSF.”
He informed that the police did not show up for 4 hours despite repeated calls. The local Trinamool Congress MLA was also nowhere to be found.
“You can see these burnt houses. It wouldn’t have burnt this way if there had been timely action by TMC netas. I am also from the Trinamool Congress, and yet my house was attacked,” the Hindu man stated that party affiliation
“Only because we are Hindus. Nothing happened to the nearby Muslim houses. They are safe. They only carried out these attacks. They did it in a pre-planned manner,” he was heard saying.
Samar Das made an interesting revelation about how a mosque was used to direct Muslims to attack the Hindu community in Jafrabad.
“It was announced from the microphone of the Saritala masjid on Saturday night. That (Muslims) must go out on the field with weapons after Fajr Namaz,” he emphasised. The Hindu man pointed out how life had been difficult in the Muslim-majority area.
“We are under attack in our homeland of West Bengal, just like Hindus are under attack in Bangladesh. We are stopped from doing Puja. Our temples are being set on fire. Idols of deities are vandalised and set on fire. What is our crime? This is an attack on Sanatan Dharma,” he stated.
Samar Das slammed Mamata Banerjee, her party leaders Firhad Hakim and Kunal Ghosh for being indifferent to the plight of the Hindu community of Jafrabad.
“Muslims want to rule here. They want to uproot Hindus from Jafrabad. This is their firm resolve. And despite this, nothing is going through the ears of our State’s Chief Minister. This is even though Hindus are under attack here. If a dog belonging to a Muslim dies in Gujarat, our Mamata govt makes it an issue in Bengal,” he was heard saying.
Das added, “It has been 10-11 days (since the attack). Children did not have proper meals. They are unable to sleep. They are in a state of terror that something might happen to them. The education of the school-going children has been stopped.”
He made heartfelt appeals to the West Bengal government to ensure the rehabilitation and resettlement of the Hindus, who were subjected to violence by frenzied Muslim mobs. Samar Das also requested help from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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