Clashes erupted in West Bengal’s Murshidabad on Friday after protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act turned violent, killing three people so far and injuring dozens others. Amid all this, a post by Trinamool Congress MP and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan has drawn ire of the Bharatiya Janata Party and also users on social media.
Yusuf Pathan, who represents West Bengal’s Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency in the Parliament, shared a post on Instagram on Saturday, in which he is seen sipping tea and relaxing around an estate. Pathan captioned the post, “Easy afternoons, good chai, and calm surroundings. Just soaking in the moment.”
This did not sit well with some people on the internet. One user commented under the post, “Waha murshidabad jaal raha hai aur aap ghum rahe ho? (Murshidabad is burning and you’re travelling)”. Another asked, “Do you even know what’s going on in your constituency ???”
Also read: 3 killed, 18 cops injured in Murshidabad violence over Waqf Act; 118 held so far
‘This is TMC’
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala did not miss the opportunity to call out Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee and MP Yusuf Pathan over the latter’s post. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Poonawala said, “Bengal is burning. HC has said it can’t keep eyes closed and deployed central forces. Mamata Banerjee is encouraging such state protected violence as Police stays silent! Meanwhile Yusuf Pathan – MP sips tea and soaks in the moment as Hindus get slaughtered… This is TMC’
Yusuf Pathan has not reacted to the criticism yet.
Murshidabad violence
So far, three people have been killed in clashes that erupted in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Dozens others, including cops, have been injured. The clashes erupted after protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act turned violent in Suti, Samserganj, and Dhuliyan, with mobs setting vehicles on fire, attacking homes, and clashing with police. Over 138 people have been arrested so far.
The Calcutta High Court had to intervene and ordered central forces to be deployed in the violence-hit areas on Saturday.