Communal Tension In Bengal Pockets, Government Blames Personal Enmity

Kolkata: The Bengal government today said personal enmities had triggered trouble in three places in the state and the administration had cracked down to tackle the situation.

Almost six days after pockets of communal tension erupted across the state, Basudeb Banerjee, chief secretary, said, "There has been trouble in three places in the state because of personal enmity. The police are in control (of the situation). We are also aware of some misinformation by certain media and will take action."

He did not take any questions.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also made an oblique reference to communal tensions in a tweet, saying, "We condemn terrorism as a threat to peace, stability, prosperity. We equally condemn communal terrorism that is more dangerous than anything.

Over the last week, communal tensions have erupted at Naihati, 50 km from Kolkata, and Chandannagar in Hooghly district, Kharagpur in West Midnapore and Chanchole in Malda.

At Nalhati alone, over 50 people have been arrested, houses vandalized and burnt. At least one police man was injured in a clash with a mob and a police jeep set on fire on Saturday.

Trinamool legislator Arjun Singh of neighbouring Bhatpara was heckled on Sunday. The Naihati municipal chairman's car was attacked.  

Naihati, including Hajinagar and Ramghat, has been on the boil after a bomb was allegedly hurled at a religious procession on Wednesday. Houses and shops were vandalized and gutted, bombs hurled.  

Aftab Alam, a local resident, said, "The police did nothing to stop the trouble that started at a place called Marwari Kol a few days ago. The police did not control it."

Gauri Chowdhury, also a resident of Naihati, said, "For five days now, we have been living in terror, attacked with knives, beaten."

Some Opposition leaders went to Naihati on Sunday but only as far as police would allow them. They want all-party meeting in sensitive areas. So far, the government has not responded.