WB Governor rushes to violence-hit Hooghly district, cuts short Darjeeling trip

| Updated: 04 April, 2023 7:27 pm IST

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Tuesday cut short Darjeeling visit and rushed to Rishra in Hooghly district, where violence and arson broke out on Sunday evening. Train movement on the Howrah-Burdwan branch was suspended due to the renewed unrest on Monday night.

Governor Bose, arrived in Rishra at 12:30 pm on Tuesday and immediately proceeded to Railgate No. 4, where fresh violence broke out on Monday night.

He told the media that “Peace will be established in Bengal. All steps must be taken to establish peace.”

After assessing the situation, the Governor visited railway officials and inquired about the recent unrest. Later, he visited Kolkata’s SSKM Hospital to check on those injured in the Rishra riots. The Governor met with Vijay Malik, a resident who sustained a head injury during the violence.

Speaking to the media, the Governor stated, “He was injured in the unrest, got a head injury. Medical responsibility has been taken. Rs 25,000 paid. Surgery will be done today.”

In response to the clashes that broke out during the Ram Navami procession in Howrah, the West Bengal Governor called for stringent measures to prevent the recurrence of “criminal intimidation.”

Addressing the media, he emphasized the importance of restoring peace in the region and urged all necessary measures to be taken. Bose met with Chandannagar Commissioner of Police Amit P Javalgi and was briefed about the situation. According to sources, the police commissioner provided him with a detailed report of the incident.

In a press statement released from the Raj Bhavan, the Governor of Bengal observed, “Those who employ violence in the mistaken belief that they can deceive the public will soon come to realize that they are living in a delusion.”