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Monday, Oct 08, 2007
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Violence spreads to new areas in West Bengal

Special Correspondent

CPI(M) alleges conspiracy and rumour mongering
Fresh trouble in Murshidabad and Burdwan districts

KOLKATA: The violence raging over the past week in parts of south Bengal against alleged malpractices in the public distribution system spread to new areas on Sunday, threatening to snowball into a major issue with serious political overtones.

The State leadership of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) described the violence as a “conspiracy” to destabilise the rationing system through “rumour mongering.”

The Opposition parties blamed the government for its alleged failure to check widespread malpractices in the system and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The disturbances have claimed two lives over the past week in police firing. Another person, stated to be a ration dealer, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in Bankura district on Saturday after a “people’s court” demanded that he pay a fine for allegedly selling rice and wheat in the black market.

Fresh trouble erupted in Murshidabad and Burdwan districts on Sunday morning when houses and godowns of ration dealers were attacked and set on fire by a mob claiming to be victims of widespread malpractices in the rationing system.

An office of the CPI(M) was ransacked and set on fire in the Nababhat area of Burdwan district.

The local party MLA, along with several other party workers, were injured in the incident.

The situation was brought under control by the police, who have set up a camp in the area.

There were also reports of arson in the Khargram area of Murshidabad, where the police had to resort to baton-charge to disperse a violent mob.

Parts of Birbhum, Bankura and Nadia districts that had witnessed similar scenes over the past few days remain tense.

The violence continues despite an assurance from the Chief Minster last week that stern action would be taken against erring ration dealers and an appeal that people do not take law into their own hands and be misled by rumours.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who visited some of the troubled areas, described the movement against malpractices in the public distribution system as a “movement of the common people.”

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