30April, Bengal
Communal threat poster found outside an Army man’s house in Bengal; police probe underway.
Tension seized a West Bengal neighborhood after a threatening notice with communal overtones was discovered pasted on the gate of an Indian Army personnel’s home in Nadia district. The ominous message, which started with the words “If Hindus are saved…,” has triggered fears of possible efforts to disturb communal harmony in the area.
The note, discovered on Saturday night outside the home of Army jawan Gourav Mukherjee in Dhaniakhali village of Hooghly district, was scribbled in Bengali with several spelling errors and also carried threats against his family, warning of consequences for “saving Hindus” and threatening to “turn Bengal into Bangladesh.”
“Pakistan Zindabad. We want Gourav’s head. We will finish your family if you save Hindus. We will turn Bengal into Bangladesh,” the threat note read.
The message on the poster, although not entirely revealing the authorities, the poster contains a Warning had indicated targeting the Hindu population. Although no specific group has claimed the act, investigators believe it might be an effort to raise fear or create unrest in the area.
Police have opened an investigation into the case and are sifting through CCTV footage of the region. “We are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness. All possibilities are being looked into, and so far, there is no indication of the involvement of any organized group. It appears to be the handiwork of local miscreants, but we are not ruling anything out,” a senior police official said.
The threat came amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan following the Jammu and Kashmir terror attack, perpetrated by The Resistance Front, an offshoot of a Pakistan-based terror group, Laskar-e-Taiba.
Residents and community leaders have denounced the incident, calling on people to remain calm and not to fall into provocations. “We are together. This is a cheap trick to disturb the peace of our society,” commented a community member.
The family of the Army man has reportedly requested extra security, and local authorities have assured stepped-up patrolling in the neighborhood.
The attack is at a time when political tensions in West Bengal are still running high, particularly in the lead-up to the coming elections. Authorities have guaranteed the public that stringent action will be taken against individuals attempting to propagate hate or fear.
