Kolkata, 20 December(H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Trinamool Congress over the FIR lodged against its IT cell chief Amit Malviya, asserting that expressing concern over developments in Bangladesh cannot be treated as a criminal act.

The BJP said Malviya had merely highlighted the deteriorating situation in Bangladesh and its possible impact on West Bengal. Party spokesperson Shatarupa said the developments across the border were directly affecting people in the state and could not be ignored.

She referred to incidents of violence in Bangladesh, including the killing of a Hindu youth whose body was allegedly tied to a tree and set on fire. According to her, such incidents have created fear among Hindus in West Bengal as well. Shatarupa alleged that some Trinamool Congress leaders and MLAs in the state were themselves making communally sensitive remarks, including statements related to the Babri Masjid. She claimed that radical thinking was growing and Malviya had only warned about this emerging threat.

The FIR against Amit Malviya was registered following a complaint by Trinamool Congress leader Tanmay Ghosh. The case has been lodged at Narendra Pur police station under the Baruipur police district. The complaint alleges that Malviya’s social media posts endangered communal harmony and harmed the sovereignty of the country and the state.

The complaint further claimed that the post was made to derive political mileage from the unrest in Bangladesh and had brought disrepute to the state. The complainant has demanded strict legal action.

Reacting to the controversy, Trinamool Congress spokesperson and state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said the party does not support any statement that could trigger communal tension, which is why the complaint was filed. However, he acknowledged that the situation in Bangladesh was serious and described it as an international issue. He said the party was maintaining restraint while closely monitoring developments in the national interest and supporting the stand of the Union government.

Kunal Ghosh also demanded that the safety of minorities, Indians and journalists in Bangladesh be ensured and urged the central government to take necessary steps.

The situation in Bangladesh has worsened following the death of Inquilab Manch leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Protests and mourning processions were held in Dhaka, Chattogram and several other areas. Demonstrations at places like Shahbag later turned violent.

During the violence, offices of major newspapers were attacked. Reports said that the office of The Daily Star was set on fire, while cultural institutions such as Chhayanaut were vandalized. A Hindu youth was reportedly beaten to death, with his body later hung from a tree and burned.

Sharing videos of these incidents on X, Amit Malviya warned that rising radicalism in Bangladesh could pose a serious threat to West Bengal as well. He said attacks on media houses, journalists and cultural centres were alarming signs. Malviya claimed that if the current dispensation continued beyond 2026, the consequences for the state could be severe and irreversible.

The Trinamool Congress has objected strongly to these remarks, describing them as provocative and misleading.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh