Murshidabad (West Bengal) [India], January 18 : Former TMC MLA Humayun Kabir on Sunday condemned the roadblock situation in Beldanga, West Bengal, amid the ongoing protests after the alleged lynching of a migrant worker from West Bengal in Jharkhand.
"This shouldn't have happened. The centre should take action on the matter. The common man should have trust in the administration... Yesterday, some people again blocked the roads for 4-5 hours. I also met them and tried to understand them. But they did not listen to me... I tried to warn them that doing all this won't help you in any way, but they didn't listen..." Kabir said.
His remarks came amid continued unrest in the Beldanga area of Murshidabad district, where protests broke out over the alleged murder of Alauddin Sheikh, a Bengali migrant worker, in Jharkhand.
On Friday, Sheikh's family members and residents blocked National Highway 12. They disrupted rail traffic by setting tyres ablaze on tracks under the Sealdah railway division at Beldanga as part of the protest.
Violence continued on Saturday, with protesters from the Beldanga Block Road blocking roads and demanding justice for the deceased labourer. Security forces were deployed in the area to restore normalcy and prevent further escalation.
Earlier, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP's "double-engine government" of fostering violence against migrant workers in states ruled by the party.
Meanwhile, TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said he had spoken to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren soon after learning about Alauddin Sheikh's death and was assured that necessary action would be taken. He also announced Rs 2 lakh in financial assistance for the victim's family and said Sheikh's wife had been provided a government job.