West Bengal Ram Navami Violence: War Of Words Continues Between TMC And BJP As They Trade Charges

The political slugfest between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal refuses to die down with both sides blaming each other for the recent violence during Ram Navami in the state.

Both the BJP and TMC have blamed the other for the incidents and shared video footage to back their claims, according to a report in NDTV.

Days after Ram Navami clashes in West Bengal, the violence erupted on Sunday in Hooghly during BJP’s procession, where stones were also thrown. During the violence, people had to run for cover towards safety.

The situation in Howrah, some 40 km from Hooghly, is currently peaceful and under control, the reports said. 

Last week, clashes had erupted between two groups when a Ram Navami procession was passing through Kazipara in Howrah town. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew and TMC leader Abhishek  Banerjee had alleged the BJP and other right-wing groups were behind the violence.

However, the BJP denied the allegations and demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the matter. CM Mamata Banerjee later held a meeting with the state’s Governor CV Ananda Bose.

Abhishek Banerjee released a video on Friday from a religious procession in which a young man was seen holding a firearm. Slogans hailing Lord Ram and slogans eulogising Ayodhya temple construction can also be heard. 

The BJP has now alleged that the video posted by Banerjee is not from the Howrah rally that was organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

"VHP, the organisers of the Ramnavami Shobha Yatra in Howrah, release footage and allege that the video posted by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee is not from their Yatra. He is maligning Hindus and should be investigated for dividing people on religious lines. It is a criminal offence," the BJP's Bengal unit tweeted from its official handle.

The BJP has launched an all-out attack against the ruling Trinamool, accusing the state government of orchestrating the violence and appeasing Muslims.

Addressing the media in Delhi this afternoon, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said Hindus are not safe in Bengal. This comes a day after Union Minister Smriti Irani accused the Mamata Banerjee government of shielding those who pelted stones. "The question is how long will Mamata keep attacking the Hindu community," she said.

Meanwhile, Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar was stopped from visiting the area where the violence took place, with the police citing prohibitory orders to keep peace. 

Majumdar shared several pictures to claim that many of those seen in the Ram Navami rally are known to be close to Trinamool MP and local leader Kalyan Banerjee. 

"The presence of same faces is prompting questions of a conspiracy," he tweeted in Bengali.