Ram Navami clash: MHA seeks detailed report from West Bengal government

File Pic/ AFP

Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government on violence that broke out between two groups when a Ram Navami procession was taken out in Howrah city last week.

As per top government sources, the West Bengal government has been asked to submit the report as soon as possible.

The MHA's move comes after West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Sukanta Majumdar on Sunday wrote second letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah over violence in the state during Ram Navami celebrations and sought his immediate intervention.

That was Majumdar's second letter to Shah regarding the violence in Bengal in less than a week.

"In continuation to my earlier letter dated March 31 regarding the communal attack on the processions of Ram Navami in Howrah and Dalkhola, it is further informed that the attack has not yet been stopped and is occurring in different parts of West Bengal," Majumdar wrote in his letter to Shah.

He said another attack was made on the Ram Navami procession at Rishra in Hooghly district on Sunday where BJP MP and All India Vice President Dilip Ghosh was participating.

"Along with the Ram Bhaktas he too was attacked by stone pelting. His vehicle was torched and incidents of arson happened as police stood still as mere spectators which strengthens our allegations that there is definite support from the ruling party TMC and section of the administration led by Mamata Banerjee who has already issued several statements in favour of the miscreants belonging to the minority community," Majumdar said.

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"In view of the deteriorating law and order situation, we immediately seek your kind intervention as per law so that the situation does not go out of control and lives and properties of ordinary citizens are saved," he added.

Shah on Sunday also spoke to West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and took stock of the situation.

In the telephonic conversation with Bose, the Home Minister had also taken detailed information of the incident that led to violence in Howrah city, where several vehicles were torched and shops were ransacked on Thursday evening.

State Police had said a number of people were detained in this connection with the violence that reportedly erupted when the Ram Navami procession was passing through the Kazipara locality in Howrah city.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has assured strict action against the perpetrators of the violence and asserted that the usage of an unauthorised route led to the clash.

The BJP has attacked Banerjee for the violence.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Locket Chatterjee on Friday said that the lives of Hindus in the state were "under threat".

The BJP MP accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of appeasement politics and demanded her resignation.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur also condemned the violence in West Bengal.

The situation turned violent in the Shibpur area of Howrah on Friday. Fresh violence broke out on Friday a day after arson on 'Ram Navami'.

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