Kolkata, Apr 18 (PTI) The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) said it will hold a nationwide protest on Saturday to demand the imposition of President’s rule in West Bengal, citing communal violence in Murshidabad district.

VHP president Alok Kumar said in every district headquarters across the country, members and supporters of the organisation will hold dharnas in protest against the violence in Murshidabad.

“We will give memoranda to the district magistrates demanding that the central government contemplate the imposition of President’s rule in West Bengal,” he told reporters here.

Kumar claimed that in several issues, such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Triple Talaq and the Waqf (Amendment) Act, violent protests occurred only in West Bengal and not in any other state.

“It is a matter of grave concern that such violence only takes place in West Bengal,” he added.

He also mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said in a meeting with Muslim clerics that the Murshidabad violence was “pre-planned.” “If it is pre-planned, did the state intelligence agencies give any prior information to her government? And if not, who is responsible for such failure?” the VHP chief asked.

“If there was any report, why were precautionary measures to prevent the violence not taken?” he added.

He questioned the role of the government in reacting to the communal violence in Murshidabad by some unruly mobs during anti-Waqf (Amendment) Act protests.

Maintaining that the Chief Minister has also claimed that “elements from Bangladesh across the border were involved in the violence,” Kumar said that this “amounts to an act of terrorism,” and as such, the probe into the incidents should be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

“The Bengal government should recommend to the Centre an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA),” he said.

Kumar further remarked that the CM cannot say that a central act, such as the Waqf (Amendment) Act, “will not be implemented in West Bengal.” “If the Centre frames a law, it has to be implemented across India,” he added.

“I feel that Mamata didi saying that a central law will not be implemented in her state indicates a breakdown of the constitutional machinery,” the VHP chief said.

“We want the central government to contemplate the imposition of President’s rule in West Bengal to ensure protection of Hindus and uphold law and order,” he emphasised.

Terming the communal violence as “pre-planned”, the CM had also accused the BSF, central agencies and the BJP of orchestrating tension by allegedly facilitating outsiders and enabling cross-border influx from Bangladesh.

“This is a bizarre statement. The state government requested the support of the BSF, and when the situation was brought under control, she has now trained her guns on the BSF as well,” the VHP chief remarked.

Kumar also said the VHP has decided to meet the Union Home Secretary to request that, in light of the CM’s statement that this is “pre-planned violence” and that people from the neighbouring country were involved, the matter be investigated by the NIA.

He said the VHP will stand by the affected people in Murshidabad.

Kumar expressed his happiness that Governor CV Ananda Bose was visiting Malda to meet those who had fled Murshidabad to escape the violence, but alleged that Banerjee has not yet visited the affected areas due to vote bank politics.

On Wednesday, Banerjee urged Governor Bose to defer his visit to violence-hit Murshidabad, stating that “the situation is gradually returning to normal, and confidence-building measures are underway.” The CM also said that she herself decided against visiting the affected areas at present to avoid triggering political one-upmanship. PTI AMR MNB