Indian authorities have arrested two men in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district for allegedly attempting to incite communal unrest by planting a Pakistani flag on the wall of a railway toilet near the India-Bangladesh border. The arrests were confirmed by local police.
The accused, identified as Chandan Malakar and Progyajit Mondal, are said to be members of Sanatani Ekta Mancha, a fringe religious outfit. According to officials, the men not only placed the flag but also planned to paint inflammatory slogans such as “Hindustan Murdabad” and “Pakistan Zindabad” to provoke tensions.
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“They have confessed to the act during questioning,” stated Bongaon Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar. The pair has been charged with promoting enmity between groups and engaging in criminal conspiracy.
The incident has sparked a political row in the region, with opposition figures accusing the police of fabricating the case, while the ruling Trinamool Congress defended the arrests as necessary to maintain communal harmony. Authorities have since heightened security in the area to prevent any escalation.
