Ram Navami violence: civil society activists, ISF leaders stopped from visiting areas affected in West Bengal

The “fact-finding” team, led by retired Patna High Court judge L. Narasimha Reddy, was stopped near Konnagar before entering Rishra.

A six-member team comprising civil society activists was on Saturday stopped by the police from visiting the areas affected by violence during Ram Navami celebrations at Rishra in Hooghly district of West Bengal.

The “fact-finding” team, led by retired Patna High Court judge L. Narasimha Reddy, was stopped near Konnagar before entering Rishra.

The police officers said that prohibitory orders were in place in the violence-affected area. Members of the team said that they would meet the Commissioner of Chandannagar Police and urge him to allow the team to visit violence-affected areas.

A member of the team said that prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure only meant that assembly of people was barred.

The team is also scheduled to visit Shibpur in Howrah district on Sunday, and is also hoping to meet West Bengal Home Secretary B.P. Gopalika over the violence that had erupted over Ram Navami processions in Shibpur on March 30 and April 4 in Rishra.

In another development, leaders of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) were also stopped from visiting Rishra. “People at Rishra are peace-loving and united but some people did try to incite trouble here. Our objective was to go to Rishra and talk to the local administration on the prevailing situation,” the ISF leader said.