A wave of violent protests erupted in Beldanga, in the Murshidabad district on Friday over the death of a migrant worker in Jharkhand, as angry locals blocked railway tracks and National Highway-12 for hours, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and disrupting vehicular movement on the arterial road, police said.
The blockade, which lasted over 5 hours, crippled communication between North and South Bengal, stranding several trains, including the Hazarika Express, and hundreds of buses and trucks.
Alauddin Sheikh, a Beldanga resident, who worked as a scrap dealer, was found dead in Jharkhand on Friday morning, sparking outrage among locals. The migrant worker’s family alleged he was brutally murdered, claiming he was killed in a gruesome manner.
Soon after, protesters gathered at Maheshpur on the Sealdah-Lalgola section, blocking the railway tracks and setting tires on fire on the national highway.
Police vehicles were damaged, and at least 12 people, including journalists, were injured. A woman reporter from a Bengali news channel along with her photographer were allegedly assaulted.
In the afternoon, Murshidabad Police District Superintendent Sunny Raj and District Magistrate Nitin Singhania spoke with the protesters, and after discussions, the blockade was lifted, restoring rail and road connectivity in Murshidabad.One train bound for Kolkata and two trains bound for Lalgola departed from various stations in Murshidabad in the evening.
“From around 9 am protesters started gathering. Many sat on the Sealdah-Lalgola railway line at Maheshpur. The protest lasted for several hours. They placed bamboo poles on the tracks, several local and long-distance trains were halted, and hundreds of buses and trucks remained stranded on the highway,” said a senior police official.
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Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was leaving for a tour to North Bengal, appealed to everyone to remain calm. “The people have legitimate reasons for their anger. Bengali-speaking migrant workers are being attacked in various states. The state government stands with the families of the deceased,” she said.
“You know whose instigation is behind the incidents in Beldanga… I urge you to maintain peace and not fall for anyone’s provocations,” the CM said outside the Kolkata Airport.
The BJP slammed the state government, accusing them of shielding mobs and victim-blaming the woman journalist who was assaulted. “In Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal, lawbreakers are protected and truth-tellers are punished. Women’s safety. Press freedom. Rule of law—ALL under attack.How much lower will Bengal fall?,” the party posted on X.
Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who visited the deceased’s family, criticized the state government for failing to provide employment opportunities, leading to migrant workers facing violence in other states. “Why are our brothers repeatedly returning in coffins after going to work in other states? Who will take responsibility for the family of the young man who died today?” he asked.
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“We will also speak with the Jharkhand government so that the culprits are immediately identified and brought to justice. This public anger is justified,” he said.
Humayun Kabir, Janata Unnayan Party founder and Bharatpur MLA, expressed concern over the rising number of deaths of Murshidabad residents working outside the state. “People from Murshidabad are repeatedly losing their lives while going outside in search of work. This time, Alauddin Sheikh has been murdered in Jharkhand. The administration should conduct a swift investigation and take action,” he said.
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