Kolkata, April 16 -- While announcing a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the family of the victims of Murshidabad and Bhangar violence, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday requested the Muslim religious leaders to shift the protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act from the state to Delhi.
"The Waqf movement should take place in Delhi and not in Bengal. Seek appointments from the Prime Minister and the President of India and convey your objections there. If needed, sit for protest in the capital. I promise that my party MPs will be with you. I will appeal to the MPs of INDIA bloc to support you," Banerjee said addressing a conference of Imams and Muezzins at Netaji Indoor Stadium. She appealed for maintaining peace and harmony and warned against any sort of instigation to riot. "If anybody incites riots, they will not be spared irrespective of their religion.
I will not allow the soil of Bengal to become blood-soaked or poisonous," Banerjee added, committing that she "won't allow division of Bengal on communal lines". The Chief Minister reiterated that the Waqf (Amendment) Act is not only "anti-Muslim" but also against the Constitution of the country. "The new Waqf Act is against the Indian Constitution and the federal structure of democracy. The Constitution speaks of the right of the state government over any property. The new Waqf Act violates that. Hence, it is against the federal structure and infringes upon everybody's right to property.
The movement is not of a particular religion but a fight to safeguard constitutional rights," she claimed. Assuring that the state has legally challenged the Act, she claimed Centre could have changed the Waqf Act through a constitutional amendment.
Appealing to the INDIA alliance to unite and fight this together with courage, she said: "This isn't just a personal issue; it will impact everyone. Today, they are targeting one group, tomorrow, it could be another. After this, they are even talking about bringing in a Uniform Civil Code". Banerjee asked people to stay alert and resist BJP's alleged communal provocations. "The Imams must play an active role. We want peace," she said. The Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the family of the victims of the violence.
"Houses under Banglar Bari will be built for those who have been rendered destitute. The people whose shops or properties were damaged will also receive due compensation," she added. Three people died and several were injured as Dhulian and Shamsherganj areas of Murshidabad and Bhangar in South 24 Parganas witnessed widespread violence.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.