Politics over communal flare-ups continues in West Bengal
The Hindu
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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The Opposition Congress demanded that the government open the Gandhi Vatika Museum, depicting Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and freedom struggle, built at a cost of ₹85 crore in Jaipur’s Central Park last year, during the Congress-led regime in Rajasthan. The museum has not been opened to the public, reportedly because of the administration’s engagements with the State Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Almaya Munnettam (Lay People to the Fore), group in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed to the synod-recommended Mass, rejected a circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur on June 9 to implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese from July 3.
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.