Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday criticised the West Bengal government over the recent violence in Murshidabad.
He claimed that Hindus are being “forced” to leave the state due to the deteriorating law and order situation.
Speaking to reporters in Begusarai, Singh described the violence as “unfortunate” and directly held chief minister Mamata Banerjee responsible for ensuring the safety of all communities.
“Hindus’ security is the responsibility of Mamata Banerjee along with Muslims. Murshidabad violence shows Hindus are forced to flee West Bengal… It is unfortunate that this is happening in front of the state government,” he said.
Violence broke out in Murshidabad during protests against the Waqf Act, damaging public property.
The Waqf Act was tabled in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on April 2 and 3, respectively.
Adding to the criticism, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal also slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for what he called its failure to maintain peace.
“The West Bengal government is unable or reluctant to stop this anarchy… It concerns the way freedom of expression is being suppressed in the state, and the government there is not doing anything about it,” Khandelwal told ANI.
He further questioned whether the state’s silence was encouraging violence, asking, “Is the state government encouraging such activities by watching in silence?”
The Waqf Bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament and received Presidential assent on April 5, making it law. The new Act is intended to improve the management of waqf properties, enhance authority for stakeholders, speed up surveys and registration, and support property development.