New Delhi, April 12: Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday strongly condemned the recent violence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, calling it a “heart-wrenching” incident that reflects the deteriorating law and order situation under the Mamata Banerjee-led government.

Addressing the media, Singh alleged that the Hindu community in Bengal is being systematically intimidated and forced to migrate from the state.

Commenting on the situation, Giriraj Singh said, “The incident in Murshidabad is showing that Hindus are being forced to leave Bengal. Mamata Banerjee should tell, should the Hindus of Bengal leave Bengal? This is the situation they have created.”

In a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Union Minister said, “I am saying again and again when the saviour becomes destroyer who will save? Mamata Banerjee is the chief of the government of Bengal. For her, the vote bank is not just Muslims. It is her responsibility to protect Hindus as well.”

The violence in Murshidabad, allegedly linked to a dispute over Waqf Board properties, has sparked political outrage, with the BJP accusing the Trinamool Congress government of minority appeasement and neglecting the safety of the majority Hindu population.

Singh further criticised RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, alleging that he is attempting to replicate the situation in Bengal in Bihar by stating that he will abolish the Waqf (Amendment) Act when he comes to power.

“He has not even come to power yet, and the Hindus of Bihar are already being intimidated,” he alleged.

He added, “Tejashwi Yadav wants to bring the same chaos to Bihar. If this is your attitude, the people will never give you a chance to attack them. Who is the custodian of the Constitution? Everyone is a citizen. The government has the biggest responsibility.”

New Delhi, April 12: In a heartbreaking incident near Devprayag, Uttarakhand, a car carrying a family from Haridwar plunged into a 300-metre-deep gorge and sank into the Alaknanda River near the Badshah Hotel area on Saturday.

The vehicle, a Thar SUV, was en route to the revered Dhari Devi temple when the tragedy occurred. One woman was rescued from the scene, while five other occupants of the car, including two children, are feared dead.

According to initial reports, the victims belonged to a family from Roorkee in Haridwar district. The lone survivor, 55-year-old Anita, wife of Shri Madan Singh, was rescued by local police and emergency responders.

She was rushed to the Base Hospital in Srinagar for urgent medical care. Anita is originally from Chamoli district but currently resides in Roorkee.

As per her account, the SUV had six occupants at the time of the accident, two women, two children, and one man in addition to herself.

The driver of the vehicle reportedly lost control of the SUV near the Badshah Hotel area in the Devprayag police jurisdiction and tumbled into a steep gorge, eventually landing in the fast-flowing waters of the Alaknanda River.

Rescue teams, including personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the local police, quickly reached the site and launched a search operation.

Station incharge Mahipal Rawat confirmed that intensive efforts are underway to retrieve the vehicle and the presumed deceased individuals from the river. The challenging terrain and strong water currents are complicating the rescue and recovery operations.

The incident has cast a pall of grief over the area, and authorities are urging drivers to exercise extreme caution while navigating the mountainous and often treacherous roads in Uttarakhand, especially during the pilgrimage season.

Kolkata, April 11: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold a meeting with the imams, muezzins, and religious leaders from the Muslim community in the state on April 16 to prepare the blueprint on how to oppose the recently promulgated Waqf Amendment Act.

The venue of the meeting will be Netaji Indoor Stadium in central Kolkata.

Firhad Hakim, the West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister and the Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, will also be present at the meeting.

Recently, at a programme of the Jain community in Kolkata, the Chief Minister gave a subtle message to the Union government that the Waqf Amendment Act will not be implemented in West Bengal.

He also described the Waqf Act as an “attempt to snatch others’ property”.

“Just as no one has the right to snatch my property, similarly, I too do not have the right to snatch others’ property. In West Bengal, I will never allow that. In West Bengal, the people from the minority community are almost 33 per cent of the population. Always remember that your Didi is there to protect you and your property. Our mission should be — ‘Jio Aur Jine Do (Live and let live)’,” CM Banerjee said on Wednesday.

Political observers feel that the proposed meeting at Netaji Indoor Stadium on April 16 will be an extension of the Chief Minister’s proclamation as regards the Act and the involvement of the imams, muezzins, and religious leaders from the Muslim community had been done to ensure that future movements on this issue take a bigger shape in the coming days.

Haikm, on Friday, told media persons that West Bengal is fortunate to have a Chief Minister as a result of which the interests of people from all religious communities are protected in the state.

“In West Bengal, there is no question of misrule arising out of attempts to divide people on the basis of religious beliefs. Our protests against the Waqf Amendment Act will continue,” he said.