New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Sunday stirred a political debate by posting a series of claims on X regarding the 1962 communal riots in West Bengal, accompanied by historical documents and archival references.

In his post titled “The Dark Chapter of Congress,” Dubey wrote: “From May 3, 1962, to May 30, 1962, the entire West Bengal was engulfed in Hindu-Muslim riots. Thousands of Hindus kept dying in Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, and Cooch Behar; the same fate was befalling Hindus in East Pakistan/Bangladesh—they were either killed or fled as refugees, most of whom belong to the Matua community, that is, the Scheduled Caste, whom our Modi government has granted citizenship.”

“Nehru Ji kept siding with Muslims both inside and outside Parliament. Letters written to Rajagopalachari Ji reveal the Congress party’s vote-bank politics. The foundation of “persecute Hindus and appease Muslims” in today’s West Bengal was laid on May 3, 1962 itself,” he added.

Dubey also shared a document dated June 16, 1962, titled “Statement Re. Migration of the minority community from East Pakistan to West Bengal,” along with another archival reference described as “The Nehru Archive,” highlighting incidents in districts such as Nadia and West Dinajpur.

He highligted the Nadia and West Dinajpur incidents in one of the documents, which says: “I give below a brief summary in chronological order of the incidents that have occurred between 3rd May and 17th May in Nadia, West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar.”

The document further detailed specific incidents in Nadia district, stating: “On 3rd May following the publication of the news of communal incidents in the district of Pabna in East Pakistan, a few young Hindus assaulted four Muslim labourers at Sakti Nagar in Kotwali Police Station. On 13th May, some Hindus raided and set fire to 6 Muslim houses in the village of Betna-Dangapara in Hans Khali Police Station and also assaulted 6 Muslims. On May 14th at night, 5 Muslim houses at Bogoola and 12 Muslim huts at Pyradanga in Hans Khali P.S. were set on fire.”

The remarks and documents shared by Dubey bring renewed focus to historical accounts of communal tensions in the region during the early 1960s, particularly in the context of migration from the then East Pakistan.

–IANS

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