The CPI(M) on Saturday demanded a judicial probe into the recent communal riots in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, accusing the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP of colluding to engineer the violence for political gains ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.
Addressing a mega rally of CPI(M)'s frontal organisations at the Brigade Parade Grounds here, party state secretary and politburo member Mohammed Salim alleged that the two parties were engaged in "competitive communalism" to divert public attention from pressing issues such as unemployment, price rise, and corruption.
"We want a judicial probe into the Murshidabad riots to bring out the truth. The TMC and BJP are engaged in competitive communalism, which is nothing but a desperate ploy to shift focus from the real issues affecting the common people," Salim said.
Referring to the Waqf (Amendment) Act brought in by the Centre, Salim launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Union government, accusing it of betraying the people.
"The law (Waqf Amendment Act) has been amended nationwide. There is a nationwide protest against it. But riots didn't take place anywhere except Murshidabad. That raises serious questions," he said.
The veteran Left leader alleged that both the BJP and the TMC were "helping each other" to polarise voters in the run-up to the 2026 polls.
"Before the 2026 elections, the BJP and TMC are helping each other so that an atmosphere is created in the name of religion and people get divided," he claimed.
Taking a swipe at the Centre's development slogan, he remarked, "The BJP-led Union government has turned its slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' into 'Sabka Satyanash' (destruction of all)." The CPI(M) leader also alleged that the Murshidabad riots were "orchestrated" through a tacit understanding between the BJP and the TMC.
"TMC and BJP colluded and orchestrated this violence. It's a shameful betrayal of the people's trust," Salim said.
The CPI(M) has called for immediate action against those responsible and urged the people of West Bengal to unite against what it described as the "dangerous politics of division".