'30 Arrested, Reviewing Video Footage To Verify Others': Murshidabad SP After 'Mobocracy' Ravages Beldanga

Murshidabad: At least 30 people were arrested as protests broke out for the second consecutive day in Beldanga town of West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Saturday, police said. Protesters had turned violent and even blocked the crucial National Highway 12 and the railway tracks, raising national security alarms. The protest was sparked by the death of a migrant worker from Beldanga's Sujapur Kumarpur gram panchayat area, in Jharkhand. 

After the police came under increasing scrutiny by the Opposition parties for initially failing to control the protest, Murshidabad Superintendent of Police (SP) Kumar Sunny Raj said that the entire operation took 20-25 minutes and apart from 30 arrests at the spot, they are also verifying the identities of other protesters using social media.

“This whole operation took hardly 20-25 minutes. We have arrested 30 people from the spot so far, and we are also verifying the identities of several others using social media. We have received videos, and by reviewing the footage, we are verifying who else was involved.  Besides this, we have detained four or five more people who we have confirmed through social media were present at the spot,” the Murshidabad SP said.

Speaking about the legal proceedings initiated by the authorities against the protesters, the SP said, “There will be cases against those who threw stones at the police and attacked the bus driver. There will be cases against those who obstructed the railway.  In addition, there will be cases against those who blocked the roads,” assuring that they have started all the legal processes, and have now restored peace and normalcy in the district.

Describing the events that unfolded on Saturday, SP Raj said, “There was a road blockade there, and at Panchraha Mod, there was a railway blockade. Some people pelted stones at the police and vandalised a bus. There are no reports of any injuries so far."

“The police had to resort to a lathi charge and used some tear gas and stun grenades. We had to charge them. Then the crowd dispersed.  We then cleared the railway blockade at Panchraha Mod, where the train was stopped. After that, train movement and general road traffic were cleared,” he said, describing how the security forces managed to quell the protests.

What Happened on Saturday

Hundreds of locals gathered on the highway at Barua More in Beldanga, bringing traffic on NH-12, a key highway that connects north and south West Bengal, and also leads to the north-east, to a standstill. Protesters also damaged a railway gate and attempted to disrupt train services. The police, who were initially not able to control the situation, later resorted to baton-charge the agitators at a few places to disperse the crowd, reports indicated.

Opposition BJP Pounces On TMC

The protests on Saturday broke out on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a visit to West Bengal's Maldah and flagged off the nation's first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train, from Guwahati and Howrah. The BJP, which is in Opposition in the state alleged that ‘mobocracy’ is raging in West Bengal, which is also scheduled to go into polls in 2026. 

"In Bengal, democracy is being taken over by mobocracy. RPF today had intel about stone-pelting. Why was there no action? This violence is engineered by TMC Govt,” West Bengal BJP Secretary Priyanka Tibrewal had said speaking to Republic on the phone, blaming the ruling TMC government for allegedly not being able to control the mob.

Earlier on Friday, as the protests sparked in Maldah, several journalists were attacked, while covering the events, leading to West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari claiming that journalists and citizens are being targeted by “goons” due to lack of security. Adhikari also accused the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government for failing to protect its people and encouraging “hooliganism and anarchy” in the state.

“Here, not only the media, but everyone is falling victim to attacks by goons due to a lack of security. This is a complete failure of the police administration and law and order. Mamata Banerjee herself has encouraged this kind of hooliganism and anarchy,” Adhikari had said speaking to reporters on Saturday.

The Opposition BJP has even claimed that the protests in Beldanga in Murshidabad seems to be a bigger conspiracy to try to choke the 'chicken's neck' area in Siliguri. The timings of the protest is also significant as the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal government are in stiff opposition to the SIR exercise in the state, which is aimed at weeding out illegal Bangladeshi migrants. 

What Triggered the Protests

The protest was sparked by the death of a migrant worker, identified as Alauddin Sheikh from Bengal's Beldanga in Jharkhand. Sheikh, who worked as a hawker in Jharkhand, was found hanging in a locked room of a rented accommodation. Locals claimed that he was beaten to death on the suspicion of being a Bangladeshi national and his murder was made to look like a suicide. Locals believe that the murder is related to the hostile treatment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers outside West Bengal. 

The protesters are demanding thorough investigation, strict action against those who are responsible, government compensation for the family and a mechanism to protect migrant workers from Bengal.

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