Muslim men tied, beaten, paraded in Durgapur; BJP leader among those booked
Durgapur: Two Muslim men were allegedly tied up, beaten, and publicly humiliated by members of a Hindutva outfit accompanied by BJP workers in Durgapur on Friday, after they were seen transporting cattle for agricultural purposes.
A case has been registered against Parijat Ganguly, a leader of the BJP’s youth wing, and others involved in the assault. Police confirmed that two individuals have already been arrested and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining accused.
A video of the incident, which circulated widely on social media, shows the victims being brutally assaulted, tied by the hands, and forced to perform sit-ups while holding their ears, a form of punishment often used to shame individuals in public.
The Muslim men had reportedly purchased cattle from a weekly market in Hatashuria village of Bankura district and were en route to their village in Jemua, near Durgapur. Despite possessing valid purchase and transport documents, BJP workers allegedly released the cattle by force and confiscated the men’s money and documents.
Further compounding the abuse, the attackers falsely accused the victims, who are Indian citizens and registered voters, of being Bangladeshis.
West Bengal Police issued a statement asserting strict action against the culprits: “A case has been registered over the incident and two of the miscreants have already been arrested. Raids are on to apprehend all those involved. None will be spared.”
Reaffirming its stance on communal harmony, the police added: “Nothing and no one will be allowed to dent our state’s tradition of inclusivity and harmony. We always have, and always will, demonstrate zero tolerance for religious bigotry of any kind.”
Trinamool Congress MLA from Pandabeswar, Narendranath Chakraborty, condemned the attack and directly blamed the BJP.
“BJP leader Parijat Ganguly is harassing local people. This is the true face of the BJP, not service, but oppression,” Chakraborty said.
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Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
