The proverbial Nupur jingled hard in Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s ears as thousands of members of a particular community allegedly considered the ruling Trinamool Congress’ ‘vote bank’ jammed highways in large areas of Howrah district, blockaded traffic and vandalised public properties for hours ignoring frantic appeals for peace made by the State Ministers.
A helpless administration watched on even as Howrah continued to burn for the second consecutive day on Friday as a section of people — protesting controversial remarks of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma against Prophet Muhammad — went on the rampage blockading trains, national highways and burning police and other vehicles and vandalising party offices. This, whereas a clueless police force took piecemeal action for want of orders from the above, sources said.
Even as thousands of people including daily commuters blockaded away unendingly gasped in punishing heat Governor Jag deep Shankar asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — who had on Thursday appealed for peace “with folded hands”— to contain the situation with strong hands and asked the Chief Secretary to provide him “personal update” by 10 P.M.
The Governor said in a tweet that he had asked the Chief Secretary to “initiate all possible steps to bring about restoration of law and order as also peace,” adding “expect CM Smt. Mamata Banerjee to sternly warn law violators - they will not be spared.”
Several thousand protesters jammed the busy Park Circus crossing in Kolkata too for about an hour on Friday noon but dispersed following requests from the administration.
National Highway 6 was completely jammed for about 10 km with Delhi and Mumbai-bound traffic getting stuck midway near Liberia and Slap off Howrah while mischief mongers went on rampage torching police kiosks, vehicles, even as locals remained locked inside their houses sources said adding a BJP party office and a hotel run by a BJP member were vandalized and burnt down at Liberia. The South-eastern Railways cancelled a number of express and suburban trains, under the impact of the blockade sources said.
Tentative battalions of Rapid Action Force deployed in parts of the disturbed zone were seen chasing away the hooligans only to stage occasional retreats in the face of frequent crude bomb attacks.
Highways, both leading in and out of Kolkata past Banana the State secretariat housing the office of the Chief Minister remained clogged for hours and jammed still when reports last came in around 8 pm. A similar On Thursday an-11 hour blockade had brought life to a standstill inand around the same area while the Chief Minister had with “folded hands” appealed to the hooligans to protest not in Kolkata but in Delhi from where the situation had erupted thanks to the BJP leadership.