Basirhat Communal Violence

Delhi University Professor Rakesh Sinha, wanted by Kolkata police for allegedly spreading communal hatred via his Facebook posts on violence in West Bengal's Basirhat, was granted anticipatory bail today by a magisterial court in Kolkata.

Residents of Magurkhali, Hindus and Muslims, had lived together, peacefully, for as long as they can remember. A communal riot was unheard of in the small village in Bhaduria block of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. But late into the night last Sunday, it was rife with murderous rage -- rage that locals say found its way into the hamlet t...

The Kolkata Police has said they have arrested a person for sharing an image from a Bhojpuri film and passing it off as one from West Bengal's North 24 Parganas that has been hit by communal violence leaving at least one dead.

As security forces marched through troubled areas of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district to keep the fragile peace in riot-hit Basirhat, the focus shifted to state capital Kolkata, 100 km away, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched an offensive against the BJP, blaming it for the violence. Ms Banerjee also announced a judicial inquiry ...

"What Bengal thinks/does today, India thinks/does 20 years hence" was the common refrain one used to hear not long ago, but the happenings in the recent years in the state have brought about an altogether different perception which can safely be paraphrased to say that "What Kashmir did to Hindus 20 years ago, West Bengal is doing now."

Trinamool would like the present situation to be presented as a Hindu-Muslim issue. It is not. It's only a matter of a failed state apparatus and assault by criminals with active help from across the border groups with state protection.

Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy was shown black flags by Trinamool Congress activists on Thursday after he backed his West Bengal counterpart in the latter's stand-off with the Mamata Banerjee government. Mr Roy accused the Mamata Banerjee regime of hushing up the news of communal violence in Basirhat sub-division in Bengal.

Supporters of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress clashed with BJP-RSS activists outside a state-run hospital in Kolkata on Thursday after a man allegedly injured in the Basirhat communal violence died in the hospital.

After about half a day of calm, violence erupted again late on Thursday afternoon in Basirhat, a town 100 km from Kolkata, after the police used batons on angry crowds who alleged that cops were detaining only Hindu youth for the last three days since riots began. The area's legislator Dibyendu Biswas, of the ruling Trinamool Congress was present d...

A 45-year-old man injured in communal clashes in Basirhat, a town 100 km from Kolkata, has died in a hospital in the West Bengal capital. There is heavy security at the hospital.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was upbraided for the third day in a row by the state's Governor, who said she is obliged to "maintain peace without caste creed or community bias", referring to riots in a part of the North 24 Parganas, barely 60 kms from the state capital of Kolkata.

A burnt motorcycle lies bang in the middle of the road as you enter Basirhat, a town 100 km from Kolkata, that has borne the brunt of communal clashes that erupted on Monday, peaked on Tuesday and simmered to a very uneasy calm today after the BSF began patrolling the area.

Delhi University Professor Rakesh Sinha, wanted by Kolkata police for allegedly spreading communal hatred via his Facebook posts on violence in West Bengal's Basirhat, was granted anticipatory bail today by a magisterial court in Kolkata.

Residents of Magurkhali, Hindus and Muslims, had lived together, peacefully, for as long as they can remember. A communal riot was unheard of in the small village in Bhaduria block of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. But late into the night last Sunday, it was rife with murderous rage -- rage that locals say found its way into the hamlet t...

The Kolkata Police has said they have arrested a person for sharing an image from a Bhojpuri film and passing it off as one from West Bengal's North 24 Parganas that has been hit by communal violence leaving at least one dead.

As security forces marched through troubled areas of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district to keep the fragile peace in riot-hit Basirhat, the focus shifted to state capital Kolkata, 100 km away, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched an offensive against the BJP, blaming it for the violence. Ms Banerjee also announced a judicial inquiry ...

"What Bengal thinks/does today, India thinks/does 20 years hence" was the common refrain one used to hear not long ago, but the happenings in the recent years in the state have brought about an altogether different perception which can safely be paraphrased to say that "What Kashmir did to Hindus 20 years ago, West Bengal is doing now."

Trinamool would like the present situation to be presented as a Hindu-Muslim issue. It is not. It's only a matter of a failed state apparatus and assault by criminals with active help from across the border groups with state protection.

Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy was shown black flags by Trinamool Congress activists on Thursday after he backed his West Bengal counterpart in the latter's stand-off with the Mamata Banerjee government. Mr Roy accused the Mamata Banerjee regime of hushing up the news of communal violence in Basirhat sub-division in Bengal.

Supporters of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress clashed with BJP-RSS activists outside a state-run hospital in Kolkata on Thursday after a man allegedly injured in the Basirhat communal violence died in the hospital.

After about half a day of calm, violence erupted again late on Thursday afternoon in Basirhat, a town 100 km from Kolkata, after the police used batons on angry crowds who alleged that cops were detaining only Hindu youth for the last three days since riots began. The area's legislator Dibyendu Biswas, of the ruling Trinamool Congress was present d...

A 45-year-old man injured in communal clashes in Basirhat, a town 100 km from Kolkata, has died in a hospital in the West Bengal capital. There is heavy security at the hospital.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was upbraided for the third day in a row by the state's Governor, who said she is obliged to "maintain peace without caste creed or community bias", referring to riots in a part of the North 24 Parganas, barely 60 kms from the state capital of Kolkata.

A burnt motorcycle lies bang in the middle of the road as you enter Basirhat, a town 100 km from Kolkata, that has borne the brunt of communal clashes that erupted on Monday, peaked on Tuesday and simmered to a very uneasy calm today after the BSF began patrolling the area.