BJP accuses Mamata Banerjee of inciting Waqf Act violence, West Bengal CM responds

Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, came under heavy fire from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, which accused her of "supporting, inciting, and encouraging" the recent violent occurrences in the state during demonstrations against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

"The chronology is clear, that the radical elements in the state received a message that they have Mamata Banerjee's backing after CM Banerjee publicly declared that she would oppose the waqf legislation and her close aide and state minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury incited the mob by saying he is protected by the CM," BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said at a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi.

Mamata Banerjee was also accused by Bhandari of disparaging the Hindu community by calling Sanatan Dharma a "bad religion." In spite of numerous incidents of violence in Murshidabad and previous intelligence tips, Bhandari questioned why the police had not taken any action.