Bengal Ram Navami clashes: Union Home Ministry seeks reports from state government

Kolkata: The Union Home Ministry has sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government on the recent cases of clashes over the Ram Navami processions in three places in the state – Shibpur in Howrah district, Dalkhola in North Dinajpur, and finally Rishra in Hooghly.

Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi has been asked to submit the report to the Union home ministry within the next three days.

Immediately after the clashes at violence at Rishra that started since Sunday evening and continued till Monday night, BJP’s state President Sukanta Majumdar, as well as party legislator Biman Ghosh, who were injured in the clashes, wrote letters to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday seeking the Union government’s intervention in the matter. Just a day after that the Union Home Ministry has sought a report from the state government on this count.

On March 30 afternoon, there were clashes at Shibpur area in Howrah district over a Ram Navami procession, which continued and extended to the adjacent Kazipara area in the same district on March 31. On March 30, reports of clashes over Ram Navami procession also came from Dalkhola in North Dinajpur district in north Bengal.

Already, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari had filed a public interest litigation at the Calcutta High Court seeking central agency probe in the clashes. The high court too has sought reports from the state government on the action taken by the police administration in the matter.

(IANS)