Seven arrested in Bengal for chanting Jai Shri Ram as Mamata's convoy passed by
KOLKATA: Seven persons were arrested on Friday for chanting Jai Shri Ram as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s convoy passed through the troubled Bhatpara area here on Thursday.
Mamata was on her way to Naihati to participate in a sit-in demonstration against alleged violence on her party workers after the Lok Sabha polls.
All seven were granted bail after police booked them under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 341. After coming out of the police station, the seven claimed they were sleeping on the pavement when police picked them up.
They also claimed they were not present at the spot when the incident took place.
The Bengal CM lost her cool as she got down from her vehicle twice when a section of the crowd shouted the slogan. She labelled them as outsiders and criminals and directed the police to identify the suspects and take action against them.
Dilip Ghosh, the state BJP president, said Mamata had wrongly accused his party of dividing people.
“She is labelling Hindi speaking people as outsiders. She is dividing people on the basis of language,’’ he said.
Police carried out overnight raids and rounded up seven persons.