Rioters won't go scot-free: Mamata Banerjee; BJP raises appeasement bogey

Digha (WB)/New Delhi, April 4

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the BJP of organising violence during Ram Navami processions and asserted that she would not let any rioter go scot-free, even as the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sought a report from her government on the recent communal clashes.

Incidents raise questions

A war between two countries is one thing, but creating such a situation in our own country, where you are not allowed to take out a procession peacefully on Ram Navami, raises many questions. Anurag Thakur, Union minister

One arrested in Bihar

The Bengal Police have arrested a man from Bihar’s Munger for allegedly carrying a gun during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah district last week. “The youth admitted that he carried a revolver with him during the Ram Navami procession. He was seen in the video,” an officer said. PTI

Addressing a rally in Purba Medinipur district, Banerjee also took a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah without naming him and pointed out that the BJP had said if it came to power in Bihar, it would hang rioters “upside down” and wondered why such action was not being taken against “their goondas”.

Clashes were reported in Hooghly and Howrah districts during Ram Navami processions over the past few days.

“The BJP is behind the violence in Hooghly and Howrah. They had brought in hired goondas from other states to unleash violence in Bengal, which is not in our culture. They are defaming the Hindu religion by pitting one community against another,” she said.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Anurag Thakur launched a fresh attack on CM Banerjee and her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar over incidents of violence on Ram Navami, accusing them of indulging in “appeasement politics” for minority votes.

“Such kind of vote bank politics creates many problems and poses many challenges before the country,” the Information and Broadcasting Minister said while addressing an event organised in New Delhi to observe the World Peace and Harmony Day on the 2,622nd birth anniversary of Jain Tirthankara Mahavir.

The MHA has sought a detailed report from the West Bengal Government.

The MHA’s move to seek the report has come days after Shah spoke to Governor CV Ananda Bose and took stock of the prevailing situation in the state. A source said the state had been asked to submit the report as soon as possible. /PTI