KOLKATA: A red alert has been sounded in West Bengal during Durga Puja, fearing terror attacks by various Islamist outfits, which may resort to such strikes to disrupt communal harmony.
With Indian Mujahideen (IM), sleeper cells of SIMI and various terror outfits from across the Bangladesh border operating in the state, the Central intelligence agencies believe that there is a real possibility of subversive activities occurring during Durga Puja, which began on Tuesday.
While the BSF has enhanced its vigil along the Indo-Bangladesh border, all police stations in border districts of the state have been asked to look out for infiltrators from Bangladesh.
The intelligence agencies have taken note of a sit-in demonstration by a section of Muslim clerics in favour of Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Hassan aka Imran accused of passing multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam money to Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh.
The clerics have given a call to organise a statewide protest during Durga Puja and that might lead to a riotous situation in the state. “If such fundamentalist Islamic organisations bring out processions during Durga Puja, it will certainly lead to riots. The state government has been issued a memo to prevent such programmes by these organisations who will try to fish in troubled waters.”
“Imran has been a mastermind of many such communal riots in the districts and since he has now been cornered, he will attempt to blackmail the Trinamool Congress Rajya Government and create trouble during the pujas,” said an intelligence official.
BENGAL, B’DESH JOINT CUSTOM BANNED
For the first time, joint immersion of Durga idols in the Icchamati by puja committees from Bangladesh and West Bengal has been banned and the BSF on speed boats will form a cordon in the middle of the river, while the Border Guard of Bangladesh will also cordon off their area in the international waters.