Murshidabad violence: NCW team in Bengal, to visit relief camps today

Kolkata, April 18 (IANS) A team from the National Commission for Women (NCW), led by Chairperson Vijaya K. Rahatkar, on Friday, will be visiting a relief camp in Malda district of West Bengal to meet the people affected by the violence in adjacent Murshidabad district.

The people, all Hindus, were displaced from their residences following the violence during protests against the Waqf Act.

The NCW team arrived in Kolkata on Thursday night. On Friday afternoon, they will reach the Malda district, where they will visit the relief camp housing the displaced people from Murshidabad.

According to Rahatkar, although the commission has already received reports on the atrocities on women at Murshidabad, their members would like to directly interact with the affected women and get firsthand information from them.

“We came to know from the media reports that atrocities have been done against women (in violence-hit areas of West Bengal during protests against the Waqf Amendment Act) and the women are scared too. We will go to the spot (in Malda) to see the situation. We have the reports, but we will go there and talk to the women, as atrocities against women are not accepted, and these things should not happen,” said Rahatkar.

The NCW team is also scheduled to have a meeting with the district magistrate and the police superintendent of Murshidabad and have a report on the ongoing administrative initiatives to bring back the displaced people and to inflict confidence among the common people of the district.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has already reached Murshidabad on Thursday night and he is scheduled to visit the different troubled pockets in the district throughout the day on Friday and interact with the affected people.

The Governor decided to visit Murshidabad ignoring the request from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to refrain from visiting the district till the time the situation there becomes totally normal.

Relief came for the people of Murshidabad on Thursday evening, as the special division bench directed the continuation of deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel till further orders.

As regards to a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe in the matter, the special division bench said that the Union government has enough legal authority to order an NIA probe in the matter.

“In any event, the Central Government has a power under Section 6(5) to direct NIA investigation suo motu if the Central Government is of the opinion that the scheduled offences have been committed which is required to be investigated under NIA Act of 2008,” read a copy of the order of the special division bench.

--IANS

src/dpb