Fresh Unrest in Murshidabad Over Migrant Worker Assault; BJP, Suspended TMC Leader May Be Behind Violence, Says Abhishek

PTI, KOLKATA, JAN 17, 2026: Fresh unrest gripped West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Saturday as protesters once again blocked National Highway-12 and railway tracks at Beldanga, a day after violent agitations over the death of a migrant worker had snapped road and rail links between the state’s northern and southern parts for hours, police said.

Hundreds of locals gathered on the highway at Barua More in Beldanga, bringing traffic on NH-12 to a standstill and triggering long queues of stranded vehicles, while protesters also damaged a railway gate and attempted to disrupt train services. Police baton-charged the agitators at a few places to disperse the crowd, locals alleged.

The latest flashpoint was an allegation that another migrant worker—Anisur Sheikh—from the area had been brutally assaulted in Bihar, reigniting public anger that had barely subsided after Friday's violence. Police deployed a large contingent at the protest site, while local MLA Humayun Kabir reached the spot and held talks with demonstrators and officials to defuse the situation.

Officials said efforts were underway to restore normalcy and prevent the agitation from spiralling into fresh violence.

Tension had been simmering in Beldanga since Friday following the death of 36-year-old Alauddin Sheikh, a resident of the Sujapur Kumarpur gram panchayat area, whose body was recovered from his rented accommodation in Jharkhand, where he worked as a scrap dealer.

Saturday’s agitation came on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to attend government programmes and address a public rally in neighbouring Malda district. Despite assurances from the administration and appeals for calm from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tension resurfaced on Saturday following allegations that a migrant worker from Maheshpur in Beldanga was beaten up in Bihar's Ghazipur district.

According to locals, the injured worker, identified as Anisur Sheikh, managed to return to Murshidabad late on Friday night in a critical condition and was admitted to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. Protesters demanded immediate arrest and concrete assurances for the safety of migrant workers from the district.

“Adequate forces have been deployed, and constant dialogue is being maintained with local representatives,” a senior police officer said.

On Saturday, protesters again attempted to block rail movement at Beldanga station, damaging a railway gate. The renewed agitation came even as the district administration had announced measures to address migrant workers' concerns. Murshidabad District Magistrate Nitin Singhania on Friday said a dedicated control room would be set up to monitor the situation of migrant workers from the district.

The issue has also taken on political overtones, with the ruling Trinamool Congress alleging that Bengali-speaking migrant workers are being systematically targeted in BJP-ruled states, while the Opposition accused the Mamata Banerjee government of failing to maintain law and order and protect journalists at home.

Meanwhile, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday alleged that the Opposition BJP, in connivance with former party leader Humayun Kabir, might have hatched a conspiracy to foment violence at Beldanga and appealed to residents to maintain peace and harmony. The TMC national general secretary was addressing a rally after a roadshow in Baharampur, the district headquarters town.

Referring to the violence, Banerjee said he was advised by a number of people not to go ahead with the programme, but decided to proceed. "When I heard about the Beldanga violence, many within my party and others advised me against holding the roadshow and meeting today. But we went ahead, as the incident was incited by the BJP and a gaddar (traitor). My not holding a meeting today would have given oxygen to such elements," he said.