Ram Navami violence: BJP to raise issue in Parliament

Party leaders from West Bengal also write letters to President, Union Home minister and the state governor on the issue while seeking central intervention

NEW DELHI | Updated: 03 April, 2023 9:17 am IST

Arson and stone pelting were reported during Ram Navami Shobhayatra at Hooghly’s Rishra area in West Bengal

With the rising attack on Ram Navami processions in West Bengal, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that it would raise the issue of violence during Ram Navami celebrations in the parliament.

BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh participated in the Ram Navami Shobha Yatra in Rishra today.

Speaking to The New Indian, Dilip Ghosh, the national vice president, said, “I will raise this issue in Parliament. We will also write letters to the President and Union Home Minister.”

“It’s been done keeping in mind both the panchayat election and Parliament. TMC is trying to bring back minority vote banks. They are intentionally creating this turmoil in every programme. The police force is playing the role of an audience here,” a Member of Parliament from Medinipur said while talking about the Rishra violence in Hoogly.

Till now, 12 people have been arrested in Rishra in connection with the violence.

BJP MLA Biman Ghosh was among those who got injured. Several police personnel, including the OC (officer in charge) of Rishra police station, were injured while handling the situation.

Terming the arson and violence as preplanned, Ghosh wrote a letter to Union Home minister Amit Shah. “I strongly demand the intervention of the central government and the deployment of central armed police forces,” Ghosh said.

Ghosh also wrote a letter to the governor stating that the police force was completely inactive when people attending the Ram Navami procession were beaten up.

Following the attack on the Ram Navami procession on Sunday, section 144 has been imposed in Rishra. Internet services have been suspended in a few wards in Rishra and Mahesh. The decision has been taken to maintain law and order and prevent rumours.

Earlier on Thursday evening, a massive clash broke out between two groups, leading to the burning of vehicles on the road, chaos and the injury of several people after 5.30 pm in Howrah.