West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the clashes in the state during Ram Navami rallies, alleging that the saffron party “deliberately” entered minority areas with the processions without permission.
Addressing the public, Banerjee said, “I will do everything for you (people), but I request you not to support BJP – the party that creates riots – in the upcoming Panchayat elections and the 2024 general elections”.
The BJP on Sunday alleged that a Ram Navami rally was attacked outside a mosque at Rishra in West Bengal’s Hooghly district and claimed that its local legislator was injured. According to BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh – who took part in the rally – stones were pelted at the rally.
Earlier on Friday, West Bengal’s Howrah witnessed incidents of violence during Ram Navami celebrations after a clash between two groups broke out during a Ram Navami procession. According to reports, several vehicles were torched, and shops and auto-rickshaws were ransacked.
Following this, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) began a probe into the incidents of the violence.
To this, CM Banerjee hit out, “The Central forces came here, stayed in a five-star hotel, instigated a riot, held a meeting with the BJP leaders, and then returned.”
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Meanwhile, the BJP on the other hand, has blamed TMC for the recent clashes in the state, and demanded CM Banerjee’s resignation. BJP’s Hooghly MP Locket Chatterjee on Monday also called for the Centre’s intervention and demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the violence.
“This is the result of a pre-planned conspiracy by Mamata Banerjee to consolidate Muslim votes and to make the Muslims happy. Mamata Banerjee is lying. We want the central government to see this (matter) properly. We are demanding an NIA probe,” she said.
(With inputs from agencies)