There has been more violence reported in West Bengal’s Howrah, where communal skirmishes occurred during a Ram Navami parade on Thursday. Despite substantial police presence in the area, including a riot control team, the event was reported.
Images from the scene showed police firing tear gas shells as a mob rampaged through the area, throwing stones and even hitting media personnel.
Further instances have been recorded in Shibpur mere hours after the road where the event occurred reopened to traffic.
At least 36 people have been arrested as a result of the skirmishes in Shibpur, where many vehicles, including a few police vehicles, were set on fire and stores were trashed in response to claimed incendiary slogans and stone pelting during the religious procession.
According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the march travelled an unapproved path “to specifically target and harm one community.”
She accused the BJP of hiring goons from outside the state to orchestrate communal riots. “Nobody has stopped their processions, but they do not have the right to march with swords and bulldozers. How did they get the audacity to do this in Howrah?” she said.
The BJP has hit back, accusing the Trinamool Congress of lying.
“TMC is lying because it was not the wrong route. There was permission till Howrah ground and this was the only route to go there. Now such days have come in India that you can take out Ram Navami procession in some areas and can’t go to other areas: West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar told news agency ANI.
