BJP MPs urges centre to declare 4 Bengal districts as 'disturbed areas' under AFSPA amid Murshidabad violence

NEW DELHI: BJP MP from Purulia, Jyotirmay Singh Mahato, has appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to impose the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in several border districts of West Bengal, citing repeated attacks on the Hindu community. In a letter dated April 13, Mahato alleged that violence in areas like Murshidabad, Malda, Nadia, and South 24 Parganas is being ignored by the state government due to the Trinamool Congress' "appeasement" strategy.
Mahato claimed that over 86 homes and shops owned by Hindus were either looted or destroyed in Murshidabad recently. He said that civilians, including Hargobindo Das and his son, were killed, while in Jhaubona village, betel leaf plantations were deliberately set on fire in what he called “targeted economic sabotage.”
He stated that these were not isolated events, but part of a larger pattern of unrest across border areas, which has left the Hindu population "vulnerable and voiceless."
Citing the recent clashes related to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, Mahato accused mobs of attacking Hindu homes, damaging public property, and even confronting police forces. He pointed out that the Calcutta High Court had to step in and order the deployment of central armed police, calling it evidence of the “state’s administrative failure.”
The BJP MP also warned of a scenario similar to the 1990 displacement of Kashmiri Pandits if urgent steps are not taken. “I most respectfully urge you to consider declaring AFSPA in the bordering districts of West Bengal,” he wrote, arguing that such a measure could restore order, prevent future violence, and give Hindus confidence that they are not alone.
In a separate letter, BJP MP from Ranaghat, Jagannath Sarkar, also appealed to the Union Home Minister to take urgent action in view of what he described as the worsening law and order situation in Murshidabad.
Sarkar called for a high-level inquiry and monitoring team from the Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as stronger central security presence in the vulnerable regions. He emphasised that firm legal measures must be taken against those responsible to restore peace and protect constitutional rights.