West Bengal, India: On April 3, the Calcutta High Court directed the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal Government to deploy adequate police personnel in affected areas where incidents of violence took place during the Ram Navami procession to preserve peace, Live Law reported.
The Court was hearing a plea filed by West Bengal Assembly’s Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Suvendu Adhikari. The Court said that “State shall ensure that the public in the area shall not in any manner affected by any incident of violence or arson and law and order shall be kept under control. The safety of the school-going children and the businessmen should be sufficiently safeguarded.”
West Bengal on Boil
Watch| After Howrah, fresh violence erupted in Hooghly during Ram Navami Shobha Yatra. pic.twitter.com/NkEEjp9eNC
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) April 3, 2023
Suvendu Adhikari’s counsel submitted that the situation in affected areas is still not under control after the violence against the Ram Navami procession. Furthermore, the counsel submitted that the Mamata Banerjee Government had to suspend the internet in the violence-affected areas in Hooghly.
However, West Bengal Government’s counsel Advocate General (AG) SN Mookherjee claimed that the situation in Howrah and Uttar Dinajpur districts is under control when the Court asked him about the current situation. “We have videos and we can submit with affidavit which can show the incidents,” the AG added.
The AG informed the Court that the internet had been restored in Hooghly. Furthermore, he informed that about 36 persons had been arrested from the Shivpuri area.
The Court emphasised that the Mamata Banerjee Government could have been more careful in granting permissions for Ram Navami processions in areas where it previously witnessed violence. However, the AG alleged that the Ram Navami processions deviated from the permitted route and firearms were used in the processions.
The Court concluded, “Let a comprehensive report be filed by the State with regard to the alleged incidents, with a liberty to file CCTV and video footage at the next hearing date. Let the report be filed not later April 5, 2023,” and listed the case for April 6.
Suvendu Adhikari’s PIL demanding NIA/CBI probe
Suvendu Adhikari’s PIL seeks a probe from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the incidents of violence that occurred during the Ram Navami procession. Furthermore, the PIL seeks the deployment of Central Armed Forces in the violence-affected districts (Howrah and Uttar Dinajpur) to prevent an untoward incident.
The PIL submits that, in continuation of the prevailing trend in West Bengal, the Ram Navami celebrations were marred by violence this year as well. The PIL submitted that anti-social elements perpetrated violence against the peaceful participants of Ram Navami processions in the Howrah and Uttar Dinajpur districts.
The PIL submitted that on March 30, the Shobha Yatra for Ram Navami processions were attacked by anti-social elements while proceeding from Howrah Kazipara to Howrah Maidan. Furthermore, the PIL alleged that the processions were attacked in a premeditated manner even though the organisers had due police permission to conduct the Shobha Yatra.
The PIL submitted, “Although, attack by the Anti-social elements on Ram Navami processions is a regular affair every year, however, the attack this year had crossed all limits of brutality. Severe stone pelting started from the roofs upon the participants of the Shobha Yatra in presence of the police and there is no doubt that it was a preplanned organized attack upon the rally by the local Anti-social elements of the area.”
Furthermore, the PIL alleged that the West Bengal Police remained a mute spectator while the violence was perpetrated against the Shobha Yatra participants. It added that the anti-social elements pelted stones, threw petrol and alcohol bombs at the participants.
Ramnavmi Shobha Yatra – Howrah.
In the second video it is clearly visible who started this clash!!
Let recognise and arrest!!@MamataOfficial @BanglarGorboMB #Howrah pic.twitter.com/mL1O7SkYQh— Ankit Chourasia (@313Mahato) March 30, 2023
The PIL alleged that the West Bengal Government has failed to protect its citizens, claiming that the attack on Shobha Yatra participants was state-sponsored and there has been a complete deterioration of the law and order situation in West Bengal. Therefore, Suvendu Adhikari prays for an impartial investigation from the NIA and the CBI to investigate the larger conspiracy and find out the masterminds behind the attacks.
Attack on Ram Navami processions and Houses of Hindus
Following the Ram Navami clashes on March 30, Islamists attacked houses of Hindus in Bengal’s Shibpur and Sandhya Bazar area on March 31. The mob came out of the Mosque after Friday prayers and ransacked the public property.
Notably, the police watched the attack as mute spectators, there have been visuals where Rapid Action Force (RAF) officials can be seen standing idle while the attackers are vandalizing shops in the Sandhya Bazar area of Howrah city.
The Suvendu Adhikari while speaking with the media said, “Police are not doing its work. They are silent spectators. They are not doing anything. All houses of Hindus have been vandalised. All Hindus in the Kazipara area had to flee to save their lives”.
Soon after the visuals of the attack went viral on the internet, the officials at Mamata Banerjee’s government and Mamata herself began accusing Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) volunteers of the attack. On the other hand, the BJP members shared clips and documents stating Mamata ‘Useless’ and demanded her resignation.
After the violence in Howrah ram navami shobha yatra, stone pelting continues for the second day, you can see the efforts of the police in the video, the situation in Howrah is getting worse. @aajtak @ZeeNews @ndtv @AmitShah @SuvenduWB pic.twitter.com/Dzf5ZQ5eeg
— A.Human (@theakashmali) March 31, 2023
On March 31, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and took stock of the situation in West Bengal, given the violence that broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah city.
Sources said during the telephonic conversation with the Governor, the Home Minister took detailed information about the incident. Amit Shah also brought information about the current situation in the city.
After receiving the call from the Home Minister, the West Bengal Governor summoned State Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi and Home Secretary B P Gopalika at Raj Bhavan. The sources said that during his meeting with the two top bureaucrats of West Bengal, Governor Bose sought details of the prevailing situation in Howrah and actions taken by the police to restore normalcy in the troubled areas.
“The State Government was directed to ensure that fool-proof arrangements are made to maintain law and order effectively and action taken against miscreants firmly. The Chief Minister assured that strict and decisive action will be taken to prevent recurrence of such criminal intimidation,” a Raj Bhavan statement said.
“Those who resort to violence under the illusion that they can hoodwink the people will soon realise they are in a fool’s paradise… Bengal stands united against the perpetrators of this heinous crime against humanity. Trouble makers and abettors will be made to realise that they cannot play Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde in Bengal anymore,” the Raj Bhavan statement said.
Locals shared clips of the attack with Organiser Weekly on March 31. In these clips, a large crowd of people wearing skullcaps can be seen running towards a residential colony in the Sandhya Bazar area. They hurled slogans like ‘Allah Hu Akbar’ and attacked the Hindu families living in the territory.
The peaceful Ram Navami Shobha Yatra was targeted by an Islamist mob leaving several injured on March 30 and March 31; after Friday prayers, mobsters targeted Hindu residential colonies in the Sandhya Bazar and Shibpur area in Howrah.
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