India: Claiming blasphemy again, Muslim mobs attack Hindus in Beldanga, West Bengal

From our previous coverage of Hindu festivals in India, it has been long established that both Hindus and many Muslims in India celebrate Hindu festivals with a great deal of grandeur and zeal. While the Hindus go about their prayers, dressing up, eating, and distributing sweets, the Muslims revel in such festivities by pelting stones, which they have gathered and set aside especially for such occasions, and setting fire to Hindu homes. This trend has been followed religiously during Hindu festivals including Durga Puja/Navratri, Ram Navami, Saraswati Puja, etc., over the past few years. Chances are that such incidents had occurred earlier also, but news platforms were fewer, and minority-pandering governments largely controlled them. Hence, such reports were most likely censored and kept from the larger population.

The latest target of Muslims this year is the Karthik Puja. Though not as major as Diwali or Durga Puja (also celebrated as Navratri), Hindus observed the Karthik Purnima in various parts of India on Friday, November 15. The celebrations of Karthik Puja are mainly subdued, with only a few pavilions put up. Despite being a quieter festival, it wasn’t safe from the ire of frenzied Muslim mobs that unleashed widespread raids on Hindu homes in Murshidabad district’s Beldanga town in West Bengal on the following day. Given that the Karthik Puja coincided with the “holy day” of the Muslims, Friday, the sudden assault on the Hindus on Saturday, November 16, didn’t come as a surprise for those who are familiar with the pattern of Islamic onslaughts. The Muslims only needed the festival as an excuse, and, as always, the agitated mass took to arson attacks and stone-throwing, after charging the Hindus with committing “blasphemy.” Blasphemy, as a provocation for brutality, has been a tried and tested excuse of these Muslim mobs; it never fails.

On Saturday evening, a video of a message on a neon sign used to decorate a Karthik Puja pavilion was shared on social media, accusing the Hindus of making derogatory remarks about the Muslim community. However, what exactly was written on the signboard that Muslims considered derogatory has yet to be explained. Nevertheless, rioters swarmed in quickly, vandalized the pavilion, and smashed the lighting arrangements. The turmoil didn’t just stop at this. A biker gang carrying sticks and weapons wrecked another venue nearby. The murderous mob also tried to block the Beldanga rail gate and the National Highway. The clashes continued till 10 pm, forcing several trains passing through Beldanga to halt midway. An officer confirmed that the Murshidabad town-bound Bhagirathi Express from Sealdah was stranded for a prolonged period.

The Times of India reports: “Over 30 shops and houses were either ransacked or set on fire, with Beldanga’s civic ward 10 being the worst affected. Groups carrying weapons were seen on the streets Groups carrying weapons were seen on the streets. Several people were injured and a number of people went missing.”

Describing the critical situation in Beldanga, BJP spokesperson Amit Malvia wrote on X: “On the day of Kartik Puja, Muslims attacked Hindu houses in Murshidabad’s Beldanga. Mamata Banerjee’s police remains a mute spectator. West Bengal has become a graveyard for Hindus. Every festival and puja of theirs is attacked, while Mamata Banerjee looks the other way.” Mamata Banerjee is the chief minister of the Indian state of West Bengal.

He also posted a video in which a Hindu victim can be heard narrating his ordeal. “Despite the presence of the police and administrative personnel, see how they have set the Hindu houses on fire. Look at the stones lying around. Look at the bricks being flung. A car has been set on fire.” An unruly mob of agitators can be seen in the video, storming through a lane dotted with burning properties.

West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar also raised an alarm about the Beldanga situation, and likened the Muslim rampage to the ethnic cleansing of Hindus that is now taking place in Bangladesh. Majumdar also shed light on several instances of bombing in the affected area and alleged that Muslim mobs had forcibly entered Hindu homes and issued death threats to the women. He posted videos and photos of the ferocious mob and the Hindu victims who had sustained severe injuries.

Disturbing videos and photos from the epicenter of the clash, showing flames engulfing Hindu homes, have emerged and gone viral on social media. Internet service in the area was suspended temporarily in order to stop a further escalation of the violence. The state of West Bengal is governed by a political party that is known for its unabashed pandering to Muslims, who make up 33% of its voting bloc. Upsetting the Muslims would only translate to this party losing power.