An alleged flare up between members of two communities in south-west Kolkata’s Mominpur area prompted Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in West Bengal to seek Centre’s attention. Meanwhile, starting Monday, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was imposed in the affected locality for three days.
BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, reached out to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and state Governor, with a request that central forces be deployed in the affected area of the state capital.
In a letter written to Shah, Adhikari requested for Centre’s intervention and deployment of central armed police forces. Adhikari alleged that the state government “seems to be unable to control the law and order”.
Adhikari also wrote to West Bengal Governor La Ganesan with a similar request.
Adhikari’s letters could also have been triggered after the Kolkata Police detained state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar for the day. Majumdar was on his way to visit the affected locality. Several senior BJP leaders tweeted and condemned Majumdar being detained.
Swapan Dasgupta, former Rajya Sabha member, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi bringing the latter’s attention to the incident. “I urge you to throw the weight of the entire Union government behind the alarm over the grave deterioration of law and order in West Bengal,” Dasgupta mentioned.
BJP supporters protested in the city, and in some district towns.