The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal Government to file a report on fresh clashes in Rishra in Hooghly district after lawyers representing senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari mentioned the matter before a division bench. Also, the Union Home Ministry on Tuesday sought a detailed report from the State Government on the violence during Ram Navami in Howrah, said officials.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar over incidents of violence. After being criticised by the BJP over “failing to control violence”, Mamata accused the BJP of organising violence during Ram Navami processions and asserted that she would not let any rioter go scot-free and warned that strict action would be taken against “dangabaaz” (rioters).
Addressing a rally in Purba Medinipur district, Mamata also took a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah without naming him and pointed out that BJP had said if it comes to power in Bihar, it would hang rioters “upside down” and wondered why such action was not being taken against “their ‘goondas’”.
Clashes and instances of fire-bombing were reported from towns in the industrial belt of Hooghly and Howrah districts related to Ram Navami processions over the last few days, including last night.
Thakur accused Nitish and Mamata of indulging in “appeasement politics” for minority votes.
Such kind of vote bank politics creates many problems and poses many challenges before the country, the Information and Broadcasting minister said while addressing an event organised here to observe the World Peace and Harmony Day on the 2,622nd birth anniversary of Jain Tirthankara Mahavir.
Parts of West Bengal and Bihar witnessed incidents of violence on Ram Navami last week.
“This is a very relevant topic in the present times. One part of the world has been witnessing a war for a long time. When I see the situation in India, there is an atmosphere of peace, but Ram Navami processions are not allowed to be taken out peacefully,” Thakur said.
Referring to the violence during Ram Navami processions in West Bengal, Thakur asked whether the Chief Minister of the state is resorting to dividing the society as she said Hindus should not pass through certain areas.
Thakur said violence has no place in a civil society and the problems should be solved with dialogue and discussion.
The Minister said teachings of “Bhagwan Mahavir” holds more relevance today and called for taking them forward across the globe for the benefit of mankind.
Taking potshots at the CPI(M), Mamata alleged that ‘Baam’ (Left) and ‘Ram’ (BJP) have joined hands against the TMC.
“I am on the phone constantly because we don’t know when and where BJP will start violence,” she said, adding that people in the “processions organised by BJP” have been found carrying weapons.
Bengal Police have arrested a man from Bihar’s Munger for allegedly carrying a gun during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah district last week, a senior officer said on Tuesday.
“He has been arrested from Bihar’s Munger. During interrogation, the youth admitted that he carried a revolver with him during the Ram Navami procession. He was seen in the video. We have handed over him to the state CID,” the officer told PTI.
The unfolding of events also saw Bengal’s Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose rushing from Darjeeling to visit violence-hit areas on Tuesday. He said hooligans will not be allowed to take law into their hands.
The Centre and the State Government will work together to root out mobocracy and there will be “solid action” on the part of law enforcement agencies, he promised reporters.
Clashes were reported in Rishra on Sunday evening during a Ram Navami procession in which BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh and party’s Pursurah MLA Biman Ghosh were present. The MLA was injured and hospitalised.
Parts of nearby Serampore also witnessed incidents of vandalism following which prohibitory orders were imposed and Internet services suspended.
Meanwhile, BJP’s West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar on Tuesday was stopped for the second consecutive day from visiting the riot-hit areas of Hooghly district by the police citing prohibitory orders.
The BJP State president who later met the Governor to appeal to him to intervene on the issue also wrote a letter to Shah in the afternoon “pointing at the worsening law and order situation in the riot-hit areas” and sought bringing in of central forces to control the situation.
Majumdar, demanded that Central forces be immediately deployed in the trouble-hit areas and an NIA probe as the “State police have completely failed to control the situation”, said if he is not allowed to join the protest at Battala, he will launch a sit in on that spot.
His party colleague Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly similarly demanded that, “Article 355 of the constitution be invoked and central forces be deployed” in the violence affected areas of Rishra and Shibpur.
