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The communal violence that occurred in Howrah during the Ram Navami celebration has sparked a heated debate between the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Criminal Investigation Department has been tasked by the West Bengal government with conducting the incident enquiry (CID). Smriti Irani, a union minister, alleged that Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister, was protecting individuals who flung stones during the unrest.
In contrast, the Trinamool Congress charged that the BJP was planning to split society in order to advance its political interests. Both sides have provided video evidence to back up their arguments and prove who was in charge of the disruption in Howrah. Therefore, on Friday, prohibitory orders were put into effect in Howrah in response to fresh reports of stone throwing there.
The orders
Prohibitory orders have been issued in the Howrah neighbourhoods of Shibpur, Santragachi, Dasnagar, Salkia, Malipanchghora, and Jagacha under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code till April 1.
In response to the violence, internet access was cut off in some areas of Howrah until Saturday morning at 2 a.m. The district magistrate also requested that telecom, internet, and cable service providers limit provocative texts and videos.
The Mamata Banerjee-led government has entrusted the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) with the responsibility of investigating the Howrah violence, with Inspector General of Police, CID Sunil Choudhury, leading a special team to oversee the case.
Union Minister Smriti Irani condemned Mamata Banerjee’s inability to safeguard the Hindu community and accused her of concealing the identities of the individuals who pelted stones during the Ram Navami festivities. Irani went on to allege that a similar occurrence had taken place during Lakshmi Puja.
The allegations
According to Mamata Banerjee, the BJP and other rightwing organisations were responsible for the violence that occurred in Kazipara during the Ram Navami parade, neither Muslims or Hindus. She urged the two communities to keep the neighborhood tranquil and law and orderly.
Abhishek Banerjee, the national general secretary of Trinamool, stated in a recent interview that the parade held in Kazipara was taken out without proper police authorization. He claimed that this was a part of a long-term strategy by the saffron party to sabotage peace and harmony in the area. Banerjee further emphasized that intelligence reports revealed the violence in Kazipara was not an isolated incident but the result of a broader conspiracy by the BJP to use religion to divide people for political purposes.
The leader of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, alleged that Mamata Banerjee’s administration’s claimed appeasement strategy and incapacity to control antinational elements were to blame for the violence.
Further investigations
Suvendu Adhikari filed a Public Interest Lawsuit (PIL) in the Calcutta High Court on Friday, requesting an investigation into the situation by the NIA and the prompt deployment of federal forces in the regions impacted by the violence.
To examine the situation in Howrah, Federal Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. Shah also spoke with West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar to find out more about the state of peace and order.
On Thursday, violence broke out during the Ram Navami parade in Howrah as a result of fights between two factions. Many vehicles were set on fire, as well as both public and private property.
According to the police, Ram Navami processions in various parts of the country on Thursday were marred by incidents of violence and clashes, resulting in 22 individuals being injured and 54 individuals being apprehended this lead people to lose temper.
