KOLKATA: Tension gripped the Rishra area in Hooghly where violence between two communities spread on Sunday evening during another Ram Navami procession. BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar, who was on his way to Rishra, was intercepted and police did not allow him to proceed. In protest, BJP
supporters put up a roadblock on bustling GT Road for over three hours.
“Mujamdar was not allowed to visit the trouble-torn area as Section 144 has been clamped in the area,’’ said police. “The ruling Trinamool Congress s misusing the police to meet their purpose. The men in uniform stood mute spectators and now they are resisting us,’’ said Majumdar.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of creating unrest in Bengal. “Ram Navami is over five days ago. But they are still taking out processions in the name of the event only to create unrest in the state,’’ she said. She asked ‘Hindu brothers’ to protect minorities and claimed that there are plans afoot for another round of violence in the state on Thursday when the nation celebrates Hanuman Jayanti.
A total of 12 persons were arrested in connection with the violence in Rishra. Personnel of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed in the area. Police made announcements using the public address system asking people not to come out of their homes without any emergency reasons.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights claimed to have come across video footage of children being used in stone-pelting in Shibpur, Howrah, during a Ram Navami procession. The Commission said it has taken suo-moto cognizance and asked the commissioner of police to take action against the perpetrators and identify the children so counselling may be done.
The Howrah police have been asked to submit an action taken report within two days. “The Commission has come across a Twitter post where it has come to the notice of the Commission that during Ram Navami Sobha Yatra in Howrah’s Shibpur area, the mob turns violent and the children are seen to be
used in stone pelting in violent activities by anti-social elements.
The Commission has taken suo-moto cognizance of the matter as prime facie, the use of children in such violent activities by anti-social elements seems to be a violation of Section 83(2) of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, and other relevant sections of IPC,’’ the letter written to the police commissioner by Priyank Kanoongo read.