Fanatic Muslims attacked Ram Navami Processions in West Bengal and many other states.

Ram Navami processions attacked in Howrah by fanatic Muslims, vehicles burnt, riot police deployed, WB CM assures strict action, BJP blames her for ‘disregarding Hindu sentiments’.

Reports of clashes also came from other states across India……  

Udita Bhattacharya | HENB | Delhi | March 30, 2023:: Several vehicles were set on fire after two groups clashed in West Bengal’s Howrah amid Ram Navami celebrations on Thursday. It is reported that fanatic Muslims attacked Ram Navami Processions in Howrah’s Shibpur There was a clash between processionists and the police in Sankrail as reports also came in.

The violence broke out soon after a Ram Navami procession crossed the area. Visuals showed several vehicles engulfed in flames and heavy police deployment – including riot control force – in the area. A police van and a car with their glasses smashed were also seen in the videos from the spot.

According to a police officer, the incident occurred when the procession was passing through the Shibpur Kazipara locality. Several shops and autorickshaws were ransacked during the violence while several cars including a few police vehicles were set on fire, PTI reported. Four fire tenders were pressed into service to extinguish the blaze.

The police used force to disperse the mob. A large contingent of police was deployed in the locality where the situation is stated to be under control.

Strict actions or More indulgence

West Bengal  Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assured strict action against the perpetrators of the violence in Howrah’s Shibpur and alleged that usage of unauthorised route led to the clash.

“They have been hiring goons from outside the state to orchestrate communal riots. Nobody has stopped their processions but they do not have the right to march with swords and bulldozers. How did they get the audacity to do this in Howrah?,” said Mamata Banerjee.

“Why did they change the route and take the unauthorised route to particularly target and attack one community? If they believe that they will attack others and receive relief through legal interventions, they must know that the people will reject them one day. Those who haven’t done any wrong will not be arrested. How do BJP workers have the courage to bulldoze people’s homes?,” the CM said.

Banerjee blamed Ram Navami Processions on brandishing swords and lathis (sticks), but she never protested show of swords and blood on the streets in Muharram or Bakri-Eid.

As a matter of fact, in West Bengal fanatic Muslims under the indulgence of the ruling Trinamool Congress Party want to declare ‘No Go Sharia Zones’ in many places of the state, where they don’t want to allow other religions anyway.

BJP blames Mamata’s double standard

Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of opposition in Bengal assembly, said,”The chief minister and the state administration are responsible for the violence”.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya hit out at the Trinamool Congress chief, saying she had failed as the state chief minister and home minister. “In brazen disregard for Hindu sentiments, Mamata Banerjee held dharna on Ramanavami, then warned Hindus about avoiding Muslim areas because it was Ramzan, forgetting that Hindus too were fasting for Navratri. As Home Minister of WB she is directly responsible for Howrah violence”, Malviya, who is the co-incharge of Bengal, tweeted.

BJP leadership hinted that such attacks on Hindus were perpetrated in many places by TMC goons from a particular religion.

Rallies across the state

Leaders of the BJP and RSS led processions in different parts of West Bengal where the RSS organised about 1,000 small and large rallies across the state. Chanting slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, thousands of people took part in those processions in Howrah, Kharagpur, Barrackpore, Bhadreswar, Siliguri and Asansol. Drumbeats, saffron flags and large cutouts of Lord Ram featured prominently in these processions. Some of those participating in the processions were allegedly carrying swords and trishuls. BJP leader Sajal Ghosh, who participated in one such rally in Howrah’s Ramrajatala, said there was a need to use such weapons against the evil. “Lord Rama had used weapons to vanquish the demons,” said Ghosh, a corporator of Kolkata. BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh performed puja at the 300-year-old Ram Mandir in Ramrajatala. TMC leader Arjun Singh also took part in a Ram Navami procession organised by a religious outfit in Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district.

Other clashes across India

While celebrations remained largely incident-free in the rest of the country with people coming out on the streets with religious fervour and enthusiasm and law-enforcement agencies on the watch, clashes were witnessed in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi.

The incident, in which 13 vehicles were torched, occurred during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in Kiradpura, which houses the famous Ram temple. The police used tear gas and fired some plastic bullets as well as live rounds to control the mob, the officials said. Stones were hurled at a procession in Fatehpura area of Gujarat’s Vadodara city. While some vehicles got damaged, no one was injured in the incident and the procession passed along its planned route under police protection, said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Yashpal Jaganiya.

In Delhi, a large number of people defied a police order and took out a procession in Jahangirpuri, which witnessed riots last year during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations. The Delhi Police said they deployed riots controls personnel in Jahangirpuri after a group took out ”Shree Ram Bhagwan Pratima Yatra” as part of the Ramnavami Mahotsav despite it being denied permission. “We also conducted Aman committee meetings in the area and patrolling was being done by the police. The organisers were advised to cut down their route to 100 metres from the park where it was started and they agreed, and the programme went peacefully,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (northwest) Jitendra Meena said.

Reports of clashes also reached  that clash broke out between two groups over playing music on Ram Navami outside a Mosque while Namaz was going on as alleged, in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra. 

…

__Inputs from ANI, HT, TOI & Agencies.