West Bengal: Normalcy returns to violence-hit North 24 Parganas district
Internet services continued to be disrupted and paramilitary forces and police remained posted in the troubled area.
Life returned to normalcy on Thursday in West Bengal's Baduria and surrounding areas, where communal clashes broke out over a Facebook post, a senior official said.
Shops and markets reopened, bus services resumed and locals started coming out of their homes. However, internet services continued to be disrupted and paramilitary forces and police remained posted in the troubled area.
"Everything is back to normal. There has been no report of any problem from anywhere in Baduria and its adjoining areas in Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district," a senior official of the state home department told PTI.
"We are keeping strict vigil so that nothing untoward happens here. Till then police postings here will continue," he said.
Baduria
and
its
adjoining
areas,
including
Keosha
market,
Banshtala,
Ramchandrapur
and
Tentulia,
witnessed
a
communal
flare-up
following
a
post
by
a
youth
on
Facebook
earlier
this
week.
Though
the
youth
was
arrested,
members
of
two
communities
clashed,
set
up
road
blockades,
damaged
shops
and
set
fire
to
vehicles.
To control the situation, the state government had to temporarily suspend internet services in the four police station areas of Basirhat, Baduria, Swarupnagar and Deganga to check the spread of rumours through social networking sites.
Asked about when internet services would resume, the official said, "A thorough review of the situation will be done before a decision is taken in this matter."
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said yesterday that the situation in Baduria was "under control".
The clashes had triggered an unprecedented spat between her and Governor K N Tripathi, whom she accused of acting like "a BJP block president" and "threatening" her.
Director general of police Surajit Kar Purakayasta has requested people to refrain from spreading hatred. Purakayasta said that those spreading rumours and indulging in hate posts and false propaganda shall not be spared.
He told people to respect the law of the land. Malicious efforts to create divides and attempts to take law in own hands will be sternly dealt with. Please don't heed rumours.
PTI