‘Restraint’ from commenting on Murshidabad’s religious demographic: High Court

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed individuals or political parties to restrain from making comments concerning the breach of peace in Murshidabad and with regards to the statistics of the population and the religion they belong to.

In an earlier hearing of the matter, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was directed to file a report regarding breach of peace in Murshidabad wherein violence took place between religious communities. The NIA on Friday sought for more time to file the report. The advocate representing the Central agency submitted that they have commenced a probe into the matter.

The report submitted by the Superintendent of Police, Murshidabad, mentioned that bombs were used in several places. “If so, the NIA should examine whether the registered FIRs can be transferred to the central agency in cases where schedule offences are involved,” Division Bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya observed. The direction of individuals, organisations or political parties to refrain from making comments on the demographic population and the religion they belong to was given by the Division Bench after the advocate representing one of the petitioners pointed out an alleged hate speech made by an elected representative of the area where the violence broke out.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed at the instance of Vishva Hindu Parishad Dakshinbanga to draw the Court’s attention to certain incidents that took place within Murshidabad on and from April 12 till April 17. In the application, it was claimed that on April 12 temples of Hindu deities were destroyed by the members of different religious communities at Kamnagar village under Beldanga Police Station.

The senior standing counsel representing the state had submitted that not only temples but several mosques have also been destroyed during the mentioned period. Incidents of stone pelting were reported on the occasion of Ram

Navami procession.