Clashes Erupt in West Bengal's Hooghly Amid Ram Navami Rally, BJP MLA Injured

This comes days after communal violence broke out in West Bengal's Howrah district.

BJP MLA Biman Ghosh was injured in the violence that occurred on Sunday, 2 April. 

(Photo: PTI)

Video Producers: Vishnu Gopinath, Shohini Bose

Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam

Communal clashes broke out in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Sunday, 2 April, days after communal tensions gripped the Howrah district of the state amid Ram Navami celebrations.

Officials said that a Ram Navami procession, which was organised in the Rishra police station area, was attacked at GT more on Sunday evening.

A few police officials also sustained injuries due to the violence.

West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president Dilip Ghosh, who was a part of the procession that was attacked, said that people were walking to the Jagannath temple in Mahesh peacefully when stones were hurled at them.

BJP MLA Biman Ghosh was also injured in the violence, PTI reported.

"Medinipur MP Dilip Ghosh and Pursurah MLA Biman Ghosh were present in the procession that was attacked. It was going through the traditional route when a group started throwing stones at it. We took immediate steps to address the situation," a senior police official from the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate said.

The official further added that Section 144 of the CrPC was imposed in the affected area and internet was suspended in parts of Rishra and Serampore till 10 pm on Monday.

Meanwhile, the state's Governor CV Ananda Bose said that the accused persons will be booked immediately and put behind bars.

"The miscreants, the hooligans, and the thugs will be crushed with an iron hand. They will be made to curse the day they were born. Mobocracy cannot derail democracy. We are determined, the state is determined to put an end to this arson and looting," Bose asserted.

On the other hand, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Joyprakash Majumdar questioned the need to organise a procession two days after Ram Navami.

"Why are they so bent on taking out Ram Navami processions during the holy month of Ramzan? Why was the Ram Navami rally taken out two days later? The BJP wants to engineer riots in Bengal to create instability for political gains," he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Over 45 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence that occurred in the state's Howrah district last week.

(With inputs from PTI.)