As protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act continued for the third day, West Bengal government announced a temporary suspension of Internet services in affected districts to disturbance.
Protests continued for the third consecutive day across West Bengal against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Murshidabad district once again remained the epicentre of violence as protesters vandalized the Rejinagar station and set the station masters room on fire.
Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were attacked on Sunday and at least four RPF vehicles were vandalised and set on fire in Sagardighi and Rejinagar. Some RPF jawans were beaten up by the angry mob. They were later rushed to Beldanga hospital.
In neighbouring Malda, protesters vandalised the Bhaluka railway station on Sunday morning. They even set the ticket counter on fire as hundreds of agitators blocked the rail track at the station.
In Coochbehar, protesters laid siege of the highway connecting Mathabhanga. In North 24 Pargana district, Congress workers blocked the Bhyabla railway station in Basirhat subdivision, disrupting train services.
Train services were disrupted in south Bengal as protesters blocked the rail track between Akra and Nungi railway station on the Sealdah-Budge Budge line. The Akra station was vandalised and angry protesters pelted police with stones.
At Kharagpur station, angry commuters entered the station master’s room in protest after they were informed that the Ispat Express would depart from Tata station and not Kharagpur as scheduled.
As protests continued for the third day, West Bengal government announced a temporary suspension of Internet services in affected districts to disturbance. Uttar Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Howrah, and parts of North 24 Parganas (Basirhat and Barasat subdivisions) and parts of South 24 Parganas (Baruipur and Canning subdivisions) were brought under internet shutdown.
Slamming the Mamata Banerjee administration, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, “Internet has suspended as they don’t want the incident to come to light. TMC party is the main architect behind these acts. If TMC wanted, the situation could have been controlled. The state government has completely given in to the hands of antisocials.”
“Our chief minister has said this time and again, we never support violent protests. We believe in democratic protest. We are against NRC and CAA. The BJP says a lot of things but people of Bengal have given them a befitting reply and the same will happen in the future,” said Bengal minister Sujit Bose, countering the BJP’s allegations.