"Homes demolished, shops set ablaze": Murshidabad violence survivors recount ordeal

Murshidabad (West Bengal) [India], April 16 : Days after violence in West Bengal's Murshidabad district over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, hundreds of displaced residents have not been able to return to their homes yet.
The administration has been providing food and other essential relief to those who sought shelter in relief camps following the unrest in Jafrabad and Dhuliyan in the Jangipur subdivision.
However, people in the relief camps have expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of basic amenities. Some residents of the violence-hit district, while speaking to ANI, narrated their experiences.
Shankar Das, a resident of Murshidabad whose home was demolished by a violent mob, is currently staying in one of the relief camps. He said, "Our house was demolished, and many people fled. We still haven't received milk or food for children and infants. Only adults have received food; nothing has been provided for the children."
Pradipta Pal, another local resident, recounted the chaos during the protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act on April 11.
He stated that around 150-200 people looted and vandalised his shop and that police "failed" to respond despite repeated calls for help.
"On the 12th, at around 9 a.m., some people vandalized my shop. We chased them away. Later, around 150-200 people came. They looted and set it on fire for the third time. Our main door was very strong--that's why we survived. The villagers saved us. We called the police many times, but they kept saying they were on their way, and never came," he told ANI.
After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced compensation for those whose houses and shops were destroyed in the violence, Pal said he would consider his life "blessed" if the promise was fulfilled.
"If the Chief Minister fulfils this promise, I will consider my life blessed. We have nothing. It's a good thing the BDO office has arranged for food," he added.
The wife of one the deceased in the Murshidabad violence said, "First they pelted stone on us, then broke the windows, doors, with a blunt weapon, broke our kitchen. My husband and son were killed. I didn't see them. They were masked..."
Samsherganj Block Development Officer (BDO) Sujit Lodh assured that the administration is trying to provide essential aid, including food and clothing, to the affected people.
"We are trying to provide food to the people affected by the incident. We are providing food for children, distributing clothes, cooking stoves, and kerosene oil. We are working on restoring electricity and water through tubewells. A survey is underway, and so far, about 15 houses have been reported damaged," said Sujit Lodh.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, which was passed by both houses of Parliament and received Presidential assent, has become a contentious issue in the region.
Meanwhile, the opposition has strongly criticized the TMC-led West Bengal government over the violence, accusing party leaders of instigating communal unrest.
In a video post on X (formerly Twitter), Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari named Md. Inzamul Haque, Chairman of Dhulian Municipality, as the alleged instigator of the recent riots. According to Adhikari, Haque "abused his power" and led the attacks, inciting violence with "provocative and venomous statements."
State BJP President and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar also met DGP Rajeev Kumar at Bhawani Bhawan in Kolkata on Wednesday, along with victims of the Murshidabad violence. He claimed that the "call for riots was given from the loudspeaker of the Masjid."