Politics over communal flare-ups continues in West Bengal

Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party blame each other for the recent communal flare-up during Ram Navami processions.

While the situation was limping back to normalcy in areas affected by violence in Howrah and Hooghly, the political war of words over the communal flare-up during Ram Navami processions continued on April 3 with leaders of the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) blaming each other. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that BJP leaders were deliberately taking out rallies in minority areas without police permission. “Why will there be Ram Navami processions for five days?” Ms. Banerjee said, referring to clashes during Ram Navami procession at Rishra on Sunday.

She also raised the issue of ‘gun-toting” at the rallies and said that such practices could not be allowed. The Chief Minister also urged the administration to remain alert on Hanuman Jayanti on April 6.

Meanwhile in Delhi, BJP MPs Locket Chatterjee, Deboshree Chaudhuri and Khagen Murmu held a press conference and alleged that violence was a “pre-planned conspiracy” hatched by Ms. Banerjee. “This is the result of a pre-planned conspiracy by Mamata Banerjee to consolidate Muslim votes,” Ms. Chatterjee said. The Hooghly MP also demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister. The MPs sought intervention by the Centre and demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

During the day, the police prevented State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar from visiting Rishra and Serampore.

This evoked a strong response from State BJP leadership with Mr. Majumdar observing a sit-in demonstration where he was stopped. The State BJP president argued that were BJP leaders not allowed when Trinamool leaders had visited the area. 

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