Man seen brandishing gun at Howrah Ram Navami rally arrested from Bihar: TMC

The 19-year-old, identified as Sumit Shaw, was arrested from Munger from Bihar, the West Bengal Police said.

A 19-year-old man, who was allegedly seen carrying a gun during a Ram Navami procession- followed by a communal violence - last week in West Bengal's Howrah district, was arrested from Bihar, the Trinamool Congress said on Tuesday. The West Bengal Police said the youth, identified as Sumit Shaw, was arrested from Munger in Bihar.

A video of Shaw purportedly brandishing a firearm during the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) Shobha Yatra in Howrah had gone viral on social media. (Twitter)

A video of Shaw purportedly brandishing a firearm during the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) Shobha Yatra in Howrah had gone viral on social media after it was shared on Twitter by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee. Banerjee had alleged that the video portrayed the BJP’s "dangabaji formula" to unleash communal violence. The BJP, however, rejected the TMC national general secretary’s claims.

After Shaw’s arrest, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh hit out at BJP’s ‘fact-checking’ skills after denying the accused’s participation in the VHP rally. “He (Shaw) has confessed his participation in the procession with firearms. BJP, who is master of spreading fake news, yesterday were claiming of fact-checking this issue. What will they say now?” Ghosh tweeted.

On March 30, several vehicles were set on fire after two groups clashed in Howrah amid Ram Navami celebrations. During the procession, the rioters vandalised public and private properties and set vehicles on fire.

Following the violence in Howrah, the West Bengal government on Friday handed over the probe to Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

On Monday, West Bengal's Hooghly district reported a fresh stone-pelting incident, all local and mail express train services operating to and from Rishra railway station were disrupted for nearly three hours. In a tweet, BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari alleged that while "Rishra is burning", the entire state administration is on a beach holiday in Digha.

Communal clashes have rocked parts of Bengal since two groups sparred over a Ram Navami procession last week.

Banerjee on Monday slammed the BJP and wondered why Ram Navami rallies were being organised for five days. She alleged the rallies were being deliberately taken through Muslim-majority areas without police permission.