KOLKATA: On the eve of Ram Navami, politics erupted over the celebration of the festival in West Bengal as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee crossed swords with each other.
At a rally in Balurghat, Modi targeted the ruling Trinamool Congress, saying the party had “tried its best to stop Ram Navami celebrations” in Bengal and thanked the Calcutta High Court for giving permission to organise Ram Navami rallies in Bengal.
This comes a day after the Calcutta High Court granted permission to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to hold a procession on Ram Navami in Howrah. The West Bengal government had highlighted unrest during last year's procession and proposed an alternative route for the procession. The organisers had contested the decision in the high court.
Modi on Tuesday said this was the first Ram Navami with Ram Lalla enthroned in the grand temple in Ayodhya.
“I know TMC, as always, tried its best to stop the Ram Navami celebrations here, and hatched several conspiracies. But only truth wins. Therefore, permission has been granted by the court and tomorrow the Ram Navami processions will be taken out with full reverence and devotion,” PM Modi said, reacting to the high court’s order.
In the high court, the state counsel had submitted that the police granted permission to 17 such processions only in Howrah and that the state didn't have the wherewithal to manage the VHP rally.
Justice Jay Sengupta, while taking note of the VHP prayer that this time it would organise the rally with 200 participants, observed: "Each individual has the right to participate in programmes according to his view or religious belief. No one can stand in the way of it. I have nothing to say if the police can’t handle a rally with 200 participants. I am giving directions for the deployment of central forces in that case."
Justice Sengupta also set aside the state's prayer to direct the VHP to decrease the number of participants in the rally or change the route of the rally.
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP intends to stoke communal tensions on Ram Navami.
"I want to tell my minority brothers and sisters, if you see sloganeering on April 17, it is their day to start riots. I want it to be a day of respect for people, a day of unity. Even if they abuse, keep a cool head, pray to Allah and ask for them to be packed off," she said.
She also accused the BJP of interfering to have officials transferred in the state and said the party would be responsible if any riots broke out.
“The DIG of Murshidabad was changed. If there are riots there now, the Election Commission will have to take the responsibility,” she said.
"We know who can handle the riots. But the Election Commission is selectively appointing officers. Changes are being made so that BJP gets a chance. If there is even one riot, it will be the responsibility of the Election Commission. The law and order of the state is currently being looked after by the Election Commission,” she added.
