Thane, April 16: Shiv Sena MP and Spokesperson Naresh Mhaske on Wednesday launched a fierce attack against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government, demanding the immediate dismissal of her government over its alleged failure to protect Hindus from repeated communal violence.

At the press conference, Mhaske condemned recent incidents of targeted violence against Hindu families in Bengal, accusing the state administration of wilful negligence and vote-bank appeasement.

“Hindu families are being terrorised and driven out of their homes. After the Centre passed the Waqf Board (Amendment) Bill, elements from a particular community have openly attacked Hindus. In Murshidabad, anti-social mobs invaded a Hindu household, murdered members of the family in front of the police, and torched their property and vehicles,” Mhaske alleged.

He said that it is a state-sponsored failure, adding that Mamata Banerjee has not just turned a blind eye, but is complicit in her silence.

“Her government must be immediately dismissed,” he added.

Mhaske also announced that a Shiv Sena delegation would soon visit West Bengal to meet the affected families and assess the situation firsthand.

Sharpening his attack, he accused Banerjee of prioritising minority appeasement over justice.

“To safeguard her Muslim vote bank, Mamata Banerjee has become helpless. Her silence today is criminal. She’s no different from Tahawwur Rana, one of the masterminds behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. From now on, she deserves the name ‘Mamata Rana’,” he alleged.

Mhaske also targeted the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, questioning his silence over violence in West Bengal.

“He claims to stand for Hindutva, yet he once hosted Mamata Banerjee at Matoshree. Where is his outrage now? Why hasn’t he condemned the atrocities against Hindus in Bengal?” he said.

Recalling past incidents of violence in the state, including the 2018 Ram Navami riots in Raniganj, and violence during Lok Sabha and panchayat elections, Mhaske said the pattern of unrest reflects systemic failure and appeasement by the Bengal government.

“Just like the Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee their homeland during the Congress rule, Hindus in Bengal are now facing a similar exodus. And yet, leaders of the INDIA alliance remain shamefully silent out of fear of Mamata,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mhaske also took the opportunity to highlight the ideological collapse of the Shiv Sena (UBT), stating: “Eknath Shinde is the true inheritor of Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy. The public endorsed this in both the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections. Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray’s party has fallen so far that they now rely on AI to make Balasaheb speak. That’s the extent of their identity crisis—their ideology is gone, their minds are broken, and their leadership is hollow.”

He took a jibe at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, saying that he is like a burning ember. “Raut emits smoke once in a while, but there’s no real fire left,” he claimed.

New Delhi, April 16: Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Ziaur Rehman Barq on Wednesday appeared before the three-member judicial commission in Lucknow, which is probing the violence that erupted in UP’s Sambhal on November 24, last year.

The violence took place during a court-mandated ASI survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, and Barq has been accused of delivering an inflammatory speech that allegedly incited unrest.

Speaking ahead of his appearance, Barq maintained his innocence and expressed faith in the judiciary.

“Today, I am appearing before the committee. I hope we will get justice,” the SP MP said. “I will answer the questions they will ask. And I am going with the hope that we will get justice,” he added.

Barq has consistently denied the allegations, calling them unfounded and politically motivated.

Former high court judge Justice DK Arora, former chief secretary Amit Mohan Prasad and ex-DGP Arvind Kumar Jain are the members of judicial commission, constituted by the state government on November 28, last year.

Barq had previously appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 8 in connection with the same case.

The judicial commission is currently recording statements from key individuals to determine the causes of the unrest and the roles, if any, played by public representatives.

The commission is also expected to record statements of Jama Masjid managing committee chairman Zafar Ali, currently lodged in Moradabad prison. He was arrested by the Sambhal police for allegedly orchestrating violence in the district during ASI survey of the mosque.

The incident in question dates back to November 24, 2023, when clashes broke out during a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. Several individuals were booked in connection with the violence.

Nashik, April 16: Police were pelted with stones in Kathe Gali area of ​​Nashik on Tuesday night. The incident took place when the electricity was cut off in the area and taking advantage of the darkness, the mob suddenly started pelting stones on the police and vehicles parked nearby. In this violent incident, three to four policemen were injured, while five vehicles were also damaged. The cause of the ruckus is being said to be a rumor about a religious place.

The police had to take immediate action to bring the situation under control. Around 500 policemen were deployed at night so that the situation does not deteriorate further. It is being told that around 400 to 500 people were present at the time of commotion. The police have also changed the traffic routes in the area to avoid any untoward situation. Administrative and police officials together kept a close watch on the situation and patrolling continued throughout the night.

Sources said that the root of this whole matter is a controversial religious site, which has been under tension for the past few days. The municipality had on April 1 issued a notice on an unauthorized construction following a court order, which said that the administration would take appropriate action if the construction itself was not removed. Despite this warning, the religious site was not removed, causing discontent among the local people and all kinds of rumours.

Officials said that some religious places in the area were constructed without permission and notices were given to remove them, after which the incident took place. All such unauthorized religious places will be removed in the next two days. Nashik Police says that police are taking action to maintain peace in the entire area. Police and administrative personnel are still present in the area and the situation is being monitored.