West Bengal’s Malda district has become the latest site of a political tussle between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress, this time over the issue of “forced conversion“.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar on Monday tweeted some photographs of people protesting with the allegation that the inspector incharge of the Kaliachak police station in Malda was browbeating Hindu families to change their faith.
Inspector In-charge of Kaliachak PS, Malda district is putting pressure on Hindu families and arresting their family members to convert into Islam. This threat should be investigated immediately. Is there any bigger conspiracy to increase Muslim population in West Bengal? pic.twitter.com/nOg1wJn9bS— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) May 15, 2022
According to reports, two families approached the police about 18 months ago and complained that two of their relatives had been pressurised to convert. Police took up the case and the statements of the two men were taken by a magistrate. The police said that the duo told the court that they adopted Islam willingly.
Locals say the families have been protesting for the past year with placards, blaming the Kaliachak inspector incharge.
After Sukanta Majumdar, the BJP’s West Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya also tweeted on the matter, targeting the state’s Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government.
These Hindu women in Muslim majority Kaliachak in Malda District of Bengal are saying that they are being pressurised by the local inspector-in-charge to convert to Islam. They don’t want to.State sponsored conversion is dangerous for WB’s future. Mamata Banerjee must stop this. pic.twitter.com/MUnAXmXGf3— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 16, 2022
However, the police have denied these allegations.
In a statement released on Sunday night, they said, “It has been noticed on social media that some misinformation is being spread with malicious intent against IC Kaliachak in posts alleging a conversion issue of two brothers. The allegations are false and motivated. It is stated here that in November 2021, acting on a complaint, the concerned two brothers were produced by police in SDO court. Later in another matter, a judicial statement by magistrate court was also recorded for one of them. Both had stated in courts that they had converted of their own free will without any influence.”
“Insp. Madan Mohan Roy, who was posted as IC Kaliachak PS till 31/1/2022 and Insp. Uday Shankar Ghosh who is present IC Kaliachak PS, have acted neutrally & lawfully in all such complaints and have also tried to help the family in every way within the legal ambit. No further complaints have been received though the family has been approached multiple times. If any further complaint is received, necessary action shall be taken,” the statement added.
With inputs from News18
Kejriwal announces alliance with Kerala experimental party 