Expressing concern over the recent lynching of five youths from a minority community in two separate incidents for being alleged cow thieves in West Bengal, the CPI-M on Wednesday accused the state’s Mamata Banerjee government of endangering secularism and communal amity by impeding democracy.
“These kind of incidents are happening because of the state government. Since they came to power in 2011, democracy has been under attack. When democracy comes under attack, communal amity and secularism are endangered,” Communist Party of India-Marxist State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra told media persons here.
Mishra said the Trinamool government has created such an enviromennt, that “people are unable to stand up for their rights, they don’t even have the right to speak out for communal amity”.
In June, three Muslim youth were lynched after a mob accused them cattle smuggling at Durgapur village under Chopra Police Station of North Dinajpur district.
Two Muslim youth were beaten to death for transporting cows in pick-up vans on Sunday by a mob on suspicion of cattle smuggling at Jharsalboni area near Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district.
On the Chopra incident, Mishra said a police probe has found that leave alone cattle smuggling, the victims were “not even carrying cows”.
Referring to the Dhupguri happening, he said the two youths were carrying cows of another person who had a valid licence for cattle trade.
The CPI-M Politburo Member said in both cases, the Rashtriya Sawamsevak Sangh propaganda machine “justified the killings by calling them cow smugglers”.
“The RSS has become more active in these areas during the present regime.
“These kind of incidents were unheard of in West Bengal in the past. These incidents are a matter of deep concern,” he said, and appealed to the people remain alert during Eid ul-Adha which will be celebrated on Saturday,
Mishra also asked the state government to take preemptive measures so that the people could celebrate the festival peacefully and due pomp and gaiety.
He also urged the people not to fall into the trap of provocation and called upon the leftist and secular people to join the protest against the recent happenings by organising meetings and street corners.
Mishra also attacked the Chief Minister for barring immersion of Durga Puja idols on Muharram’s 10th day on October 1.
Banerjee has announced that the Durga Puja immersion would be allowed on Dussehra/Dashami, September 30, but not on October 1 as Muslims would observe Ashura, a day of mourning in the month of Muharram on that day. However, the immersions would be resume on October 2 and could take place till October 4.
