The mortal remains of five labourers, killed in a terror attack in Kashmir, were laid to rest in their hometown in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Thursday. People from far-flung areas turned up in large numbers to attend the last prayers.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it was “unfortunate” that Bengali workers were being killed in “every part of the country”.
“Bengalis are attacked and killed in Rajasthan, in other parts, and now in Kashmir, and who is responsible for this?” she asked.
“People from Kashmir, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar and every other part of the country are in Bengal, but have they ever been targeted? This politics of BJP to create division on the basis of religion, between Bengalis and non-Bengalis, is vitiating the atmosphere,” she said. She demanded a “thorough inquiry” into the incident.
The BJP argued that the Trinamool Congress was “playing politics” over a tragedy. “Why are Bengali workers going to work in Kashmir? Mamata Banerjee would not answer that, but would see conspiracy in the killing of the Bengalis and blame the [Narendra] Modi government,” said Dilip Ghosh, the State president of the BJP.
‘Hopeless politics’
“So many of BJP’s workers are being killed and even the minorities are not spared. Are they not Bengalis? This is hopeless politics,” Mr. Ghosh said. He added that situation will be brought under control in Kashmir.
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar condemned the killing and said that “violence should not be politicised.”
State Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari and TMC MP Mohua Moitra attended the last rites of the deceased labourers in Murshidabad and handed over cheques of ₹5 lakh each as compensation to their families on behalf of the State government. Among others, State Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim and local political leaders offered their condolences to the families. Mr. Hakim questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s “silence” on the Kashmir incident. TMC leaders also asked why the Central government had not offered any compensation.
