Minister blames Congress for clash

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Aug 6: The state parliamentary affairs minister, Mr Sailen Sarkar, has held the Malda Congress leaders responsible for the “communal violence” that rocked the Nalagola areas in Malda’s Bamangola police station area recently over the alleged attempt to rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl by three youths of a minority community.Addressing a press conference here last night, Mr Sarkar, said: “The BJP can create communal unrest, but how a secular party like the Congress, can do so?” Mr Sarkar asked. He said that the Congress leaders wanted to a play a narrow game of communal politics with the help of the BJP, but ultimately failed to control the fundamentalist groups which attacked them reacting to their speeches. “In a bid to safeguard their so-called secular image, the Congress leaders are blaming the CPI-M for the clash”, the minister, said. It may be recalled that the local Congress leaders had organised several meetings in Malda town and Kaliachak, and blamed the CPI-M for the clashes. The police, too, had organised a peace meeting with leaders of all political parties at Nalagola yesterday in order to restore peace and communal harmony in the area. The BJP leaders, however, criticised the district administration’s move to clamp Section 144 CrPC at Nalagola.there. The police officials, meanwhile, said that Section 144 Cr PC would continue in the area until peace is restored there. The police are in search of the kingpins of the incident. So far, 13 persons have been arrested on chares of initiating the clash.