Violent clashes in India’s Murshidabad: Internet cut, restrictions imposed

The administration of Murshidabad, in the Indian state of West Bengal, imposed prohibitory orders and cut off the internet on Sunday after violent clashes broke out between two groups over an objectionable message displayed on a neon signboard at a Kartik Puja pandal in Beldanga.

According to a report by Indian media outlet News 18, the prohibitory orders were issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which prohibits gatherings of more than five people, according to officials familiar with the situation.

Tensions escalated after news of the signboard tampering spread, triggering mobs on both sides, who threw bricks at each other and engaged in vandalism and arson, as reported by local media.

Police sources stated that shops and houses were looted, and a police vehicle was damaged during the violence, which later spread to nearby areas such as Kazisaha and Begunbari.

Upon noticing the unrest, local police arrived at the scene and used lathi charges to disperse the crowd and restore order, according to police sources quoted by Indian media.