New Delhi [India], April 9 (ANI): As violence erupted during a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, Union Minister and BJP's state president Sukanta Majumdar accused the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led state government of 'state sponsored violence' and diverting from the issue of 26,000 teachers in the state losing their jobs.

'We knew Mamata Banerjee would try to divert people's attention from the issue of 26,000 teachers losing their jobs. This is state-sponsored violence. Ahead of the 2021 elections in West Bengal, when CAB was passed to form CAA, we saw such violence in the state; a train was burnt,' Majumdar claimed during a press conference in Delhi.

He further compared the violence which took place in Murshidabad to the violence which broke out during the CAA protests in 2020-21.

'Ahead of the 2021 elections in West Bengal, when CAB was passed to form CAA, we saw such violence in the state; a train was burnt..Cases like these happen in Murshidabad and Mamata Banerjee and TMC organise these things... Hindus' lives in Murshidabad were at stake in 2021. Women were about to be raped. BSF had to step in bordering areas. This is how Hindu women's dignity was saved,' he added.

He expressed confidence in the state's people's support for the BJP, claiming that he believes that 'not one Hindu' will vote for CM Banerjee.

'The Hindus of West Bengal are coming together, and I have faith that in the upcoming elections, not even one Hindu will vote for Mamata Banerjee... When we had called for a 'gherao' of Nabanno, some people had burned a police vehicle, and Abhishek Banerjee said, had he been there instead of the police, he would have shot these people in the head,' Majumdar said.

He further challenged the TMC leader by saying the same for the people who allegedly burned police vehicles.

Earlier today, witnesses in the area recounted the violence they saw.

'Yesterday, there was a lot of crowd here, and people from Jangipur came here, and they protested against the Waqf Bill. There was a police van of the SP; they torched it and started stone pelting. I saw the police run away,' one of the locals in the area, Bittu Sarkar, said.

Expressing confidence that he believes that none of the violence was done by anyone from the Muslim community, he added, 'I don't know exactly who they were, but I can say for certain that it cannot be any person practicing Islam, because the teachings of Islam do not teach spreading disorder.'

Another person who witnessed the violence said, 'Around thousands of people came here to do a rally, then police also came here, stone pelting started.'

Violence erupted in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Tuesday during protests against the Waqf Amendment Act, with clashes between demonstrators and police resulting in stone-pelting and torched police vehicles.

Prohibitory orders had been passed by the Murshidabad District Magistrate for over 48 hours (April 8-April 10).

Whereas credible information has been received from the Superintendent of Police, Jandipur police district, and the Sub-Divisional Officer, Jangipur subdivision regarding imminent chances of disruption of law and order, and there is a likelihood of further deterioration in the public peace and tranquillity in the area,' read the DM's order. (ANI)