Bombing and firing rocks Howrah's Shibpur, residents flee after arson; multiple injured

A sense of terror gripped the Chaura Basti area of Shibpur, Howrah, on Thursday afternoon as the locality was rocked by sudden gunfire and crude bomb explosions. The silence of the neighborhood was shattered when a large mob allegedly descended upon the area, leading to widespread stone-pelting and arson. The violence was so intense that shopkeepers hurriedly pulled down their shutters, and several residents were forced to hide inside their homes to escape the chaos. Multiple injuries have been reported, and visuals showed panicked women fleeing the area with their children as the situation spiraled out of control.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that the attack was a calculated act of post-poll retaliation by Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters. Manoj Khan, a leader of the BJP Minority Morcha, claimed that he and other Muslim supporters of the BJP were being targeted for their voting choices. Khan specifically pointed fingers at associates of a local TMC leader and former councilor’s husband, Shamim alias ‘Bade,’ alleging that they had been receiving threats since the election results were declared. He further claimed that despite previous complaints against Shamim Ahmed, the police had failed to take preventive action.

On the other hand, supporters of the TMC have dismissed these allegations, counter-accusing Manoj Khan and his associates of instigating tension in the locality following the election results. While both sides continue to trade blame, the immediate priority for the administration has been restoring order. Rapid Action Force (RAF), local police, and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel reached the spot shortly after the violence began to conduct a flag march and stabilize the area.