Kolkata, June 12 (IANS) The total number of arrests in connection with the clashes between two groups in the Maheshtala area in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal has increased to 40 as of now, the state police claimed in a statement issued on Thursday.

“A total of 40 persons have been arrested so far in seven cases registered over the incident. None of those who have indulged in violence will be spared,” the police statement said.

However, the claims of the state police in the same statement on the reasons behind the clashes have been strongly refuted by the West Bengal’s Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and BJP leader, Suvendu Adhikari.

As per the state police statement, the clashes erupted over “illegal construction and plantation on government land without any permission whatsoever and replacing an existing shop in the process, resulting in brick-batting at police and isolated vandalism in the vicinity”.

However, LoP Adhikari had issued a counter statement accusing the state police of hiding “a blatant communal attack on Hindus” and reducing it to a mere “clash between two groups”.

LoP Adhikari had also accused the police of remaining silent over developments like the destruction of the “Tulsi Manch”, the ransacking of homes and shops owned by Hindus, and vandalism at a Hindu religious establishment at Maheshtala.

He also accused the Inspector-in-charge of Rabindra Nagar police station, Mukul Mia, and the local Sub-Divisional Police Officer Kamrujjaman Molla of remaining silent while the clashes were taking place.

“The police inaction mirrors the Murshidabad violence just months ago, where similar communal unrest left lives shattered. The flames of targeted attacks on Hindus have now reached Kolkata,” the LoP said.

According to LoP Adhikari, arrests of just 40 people were not enough since hundreds of miscreants were involved in the rampage at Maheshtala on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the state police had also issued a note of caution to the people on rumour-mongering and claimed that those trying to trigger unrest would be sternly dealt with as per law.

–IANS

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