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Police on alert in Bihar, Bengal ahead of Hanuman Jayanti
A series of communal clashes during Ram Navami celebrations triggered a blame game between the ruling parties of the two states and opposition BJP
Police were on alert in Bihar and West Bengal ahead of the Hanuman Jayanti on Thursday after facing flak over a series of communal clashes during Ram Navami celebrations that triggered a blame game between the ruling parties of the two states and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Hindu groups were expected to take out processions on the Hanuman Jayanti. Communal violence was reported in places such as Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal during the Hanuman Jayanti celebrations last year.
The Union home ministry on Tuesday sought a report from the West Bengal government on the Ram Navami clashes a day after fresh violence disrupted local train services in Hooghly district’s Rishra town.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday appealed for calm and blamed the BJP for stoking the violence even as governor CV Ananda Bose cut short his visit to Darjeeling and visited violence-hit areas in the Hoogly district.
Violence first broke out in Bengal’s Howrah district on March 30 when stones were allegedly thrown at a Ram Navami procession. The violence spread to the North Dinajpur and Hooghly districts over the next three days and prompted the Calcutta high court to seek a report.
Banerjee accused the BJP of bringing in hired goons from outside the state to trigger violence following the arrest of Sumit Sau from Munger in Bihar after he was purportedly seen in videos of Ram Navami processions carrying firearms.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused Banerjee of playing divisive politics to save her chair and to divert attention from unemployment and corruption.
Banerjee on Monday warned of communal violence during Hanuman Jayanti processions similar to the ones during Ram Navami processions in Howrah and Hoogly and asked the police to be on high alert.
A person aware of the matter said West Bengal Police chief Manoj Malaviya met top officers on Monday and asked them to be prepared. “Although no decision was taken to stop any organisation from holding rallies during Hanuman Jayanti, all district police units have been asked to keep counter-riot measures ready,” said the person.
In Bihar, a police officer said there has been no tradition of taking out processions on Hanuman Jayanti in the state nor has anyone applied for permission to organise any event related to it. “In any case, police are on alert.”
