Bengal Violence: Relief Camp Residents Accuse Police of Enforcing 'Blanket Secrecy' During NHRC Talks
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Synopsis
Displaced victims from Murshidabad communal violence, now in a Malda relief camp, accuse local police of enforcing 'blanket secrecy' during NHRC discussions. They claim police restricted interactions with outsiders and relatives, and criticized food quality.
Key Takeaways
- Victims from Murshidabad communal violence allege police secrecy.
- NHRC representatives visited the Malda relief camp.
- Police barred entry to outsiders and relatives.
- Complaints about food quality were raised by residents.
- Police refuted claims of intentional secrecy.
Kolkata, April 18 (NationPress) The displaced individuals affected by the recent communal clashes in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, currently residing at a temporary relief center located in a school in the neighboring Malda district, have claimed on Friday that the local police maintained a state of “blanket secrecy” during their discussions with the representatives of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) who visited the relief camp.
After the NHRC representatives departed from the relief camp late on Friday afternoon, the victims of the Murshidabad violence initiated protests, accusing the police of transforming the shelter camp into a de facto fortress to allegedly prevent information regarding their discussions with NHRC representatives from reaching the outside world.
They contended that the police's efforts to uphold secrecy hindered those residing at the relief camp, as the police not only restricted entry for outsiders but also stopped camp residents from leaving since Friday morning.
The residents of the relief camp further asserted that even their relatives traveling from Murshidabad to visit them were denied entry and prevented from meeting.
Moreover, they accused the authorities of covering the entire relief camp area within the school grounds with a thick layer of tarpaulin to obstruct displaced residents from communicating with the media and recounting their experiences from the violence in Murshidabad last week.
Complaints regarding the quality of food provided at the relief camp were also voiced.
“We are primarily served stale food. Even local individuals willing to assist us have been blocked by the police from interacting with us. Our relatives are not allowed to see us. We have been kept cut off from the outside world,” a woman resident of the Malda relief center stated.
In response, the police refuted claims of intentionally maintaining absolute secrecy under the guise of security measures at the shelter.
According to police officials, security arrangements were implemented at the shelter camp due to ongoing VVIP movements throughout the day.
