What Led to Protests in Beldanga After a Migrant Worker from Bengal Was Attacked in Jharkhand?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Protests erupted in Beldanga due to the alleged assault of a migrant worker in Jharkhand.
- Significant disruptions occurred on National Highway 12 and local train services.
- Police and railway authorities are responding with increased security measures.
- The incident has sparked wider debates regarding law enforcement in West Bengal.
- The deceased worker's family is demanding justice and accountability.
Kolkata, Jan 17 (NationPress) Protests ignited in Beldanga, located in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, on Saturday subsequent to an incident where a migrant worker from the state was reportedly assaulted in Jharkhand.
Numerous individuals obstructed the Barua More intersection and National Highway 12, also vandalizing the railway gate near Beldanga station, causing significant disruptions to train operations.
Currently, train services between Krishnanagar and Lalgola are halted.
In response to the escalating situation, Eastern Railway General Manager (GM) Milind K. Deuskar confirmed that additional forces (RPF, RPSF) are being dispatched from Kolkata to Beldanga.
A considerable number of police have been stationed in Beldanga due to reports of rising tensions.
Interestingly, this unrest coincided with the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Vande Bharat Sleeper train from the adjacent Malda district.
On the previous day, Friday, hundreds rallied in Beldanga protesting against the alleged murder of a migrant worker from West Bengal in Jharkhand, demanding swift apprehension and severe punishment for the culprits.
The demonstrators blocked National Highway 12 and the railway line, causing inconvenience for thousands of travelers.
They also damaged traffic kiosks and police vehicles, resulting in injuries to at least 12 individuals due to stone pelting during the unrest.
The deceased migrant worker was identified as Alauddin Sheikh, aged 36, a resident of Sujarpur-Kamarpur village panchayat in Murshidabad district.
According to Sheikh's family, they received news of his demise from Jharkhand on Thursday morning.
The Jharkhand Police informed them that Sheikh's body was discovered hanging in his rented accommodation.
However, the family contends that the police are misrepresenting the incident as a suicide, insisting that Sheikh was lynched prior to his body being hanged.
Amit Malviya, the Chief of the BJP Information Technology Cell and the party's central observer for West Bengal, stated that the unrest in Beldanga reflects a breakdown of law and order in West Bengal, with criminal elements allegedly supported by the ruling Trinamool Congress.