ISF Not Involved in Bhangar Violence, TMC To Blame: MLA Nawsad Siddique To News18
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Bengal unrest: Police have arrested nine people in connection with the Bhangar violence, most of whom are affiliated to the ISF
Police vehicles set on fire allegedly by members of Indian Secular Front during a protest march to Kolkata over Waqf (Amendment) Act, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district on April 14. (Image: PTI)
The Indian Secular Front (ISF) is in no way involved in the violence in Bhangar, which came after the disturbance in Bengal’s Murshidabad, MLA from the constituency and ISF chief Nawsad Siddique told News18 in an exclusive interview.
Police have arrested nine people in connection with the violence, most of whom are affiliated to the ISF.
Siddique said, “The local administration and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) wanted this violence yesterday in Bhangar.”
“When people were trying to come to Kolkata for our programme against the amended Waqf law, police did not allow them. When they were coming by car, they were stopped. They wanted to walk, but they were stopped again. They resorted to lathicharge. Our people got injured. Nobody got aggressive. In the evening, we wanted to hold a meeting in the bazaar, but the police disturbed it. The TMC people were there,” he said.
He demanded the CCTV footage of the incident. “If the ISF has done this, we will not spare them. I demand that they show us the footage. TMC’s Saokat Molla is behind this.”
Mollah, a TMC MLA and a known rival of Naushad, said the instigators were from the ISF.
Siddique emphasised that if anyone claiming association with the ISF was involved in the ruckus, strong action would be taken. He also stated his intention to challenge the arrest of ISF workers in court.
On the Murshidabad violence, Siddique said he was committed to fighting against the Waqf law democratically.
“We are forming a group and we have also filed a petition. This is anti-constitutional, but we will never resort to violence. The police and IB should see why such an incident took place. They have arrested ISF members because that is their political agenda. They did the same during CAA. This arrests are illegal.”
Police sources, however, maintain that the current situation prevents them from granting permission for any anti-Waqf movement in Kolkata, citing this as the reason for stopping the ISF.