'Murshidabad violence pre-planned': Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee meets Imams amid Waqf protests

NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday addressed the tense situation in Murshidabad district in her meeting with Imams. She also responded to the allegations pushed by the BJP leaders, which claimed TMC's involvement in unrest over Waqf issue.
Mamata hit back at the BJP-led Centre, alleging "Communal riot in Murshidabad pre-planned."
“Had TMC been involved in the Waqf violence as claimed by the opposition, the houses of our leaders wouldn’t have been attacked,” she said. She also pointed out that the TMC had taken a strong stand in Parliament against the Waqf law. “TMC is at the forefront in the fight against the Waqf law,” Banerjee stated during a meeting with Imams.
She added: "Yesterday, I saw a tweet from ANI quoting the Home Ministry that Bangladesh is involved in this (Murshidabad violence). If this is true, the Central Govt is responsible for it. BSF takes care of the border and not the state govt. Why did you allow the people of BJP to come from outside, cause a disturbance and run away?"
Taking aim at the Centre and sections of the media, Banerjee accused “godi media” of spreading misinformation and targeting Bengal unfairly. “The Centre hiked petrol and diesel prices, but some 'godi media' only speak against Bengal and against me,” she said, challenging critics to speak to her directly instead of spreading misinformation.
She alleged that some media houses backed by the BJP had circulated fake videos to defame the state. “We have nabbed them... Out of eight videos, some are from Karnataka, some from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, or Rajasthan. They are tarnishing Bengal. They should be ashamed,” the CM said.
Banerjee also questioned the central government’s record on employment and inflation: “They should answer how many youths have got jobs. The prices of medicines, petrol, and diesel have increased, but instead, they’re busy targeting Bengal with fake narratives.”
Earlier in the day, the BJP sharpened its attack on Bengal CM Mamata over the violence in Murshidabad, accusing her government of orchestrating a “targeted attack” on the Hindu community.
At a presser, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned the state government's intentions, saying, “What’s happening in Bengal? How low will they stoop for vote banks? What does it mean that Hindus are fleeing?” He cited television visuals showing shops owned by Hindus being set on fire and described the violence as deliberate.
“One report showed a poor Dalit man who had saved Rs 2 lakh for his wife’s treatment — all of it was burnt. This is inhumane,” he said, slamming the Mamata government for what he called a total lack of sensitivity. “Politics will happen, but has your government lost all humanity?” he asked.
Prasad further alleged that the police in Bengal were operating without accountability and praised the intervention of the high court, which led to the deployment of central forces in the area.