Hindu Jagran Manch to hold 5000 Ramnavami processions across Bengal, police on high alert

The police have emphasised strict enforcement of law and order, forbidding the public display of weapons

Digital Desk: Ahead of Ram Navami celebrations in Bengal, the police are on high alert, anticipating tensions as the Hindu Jagran Manch plans to organize around 5,000 religious processions across the state. Affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the group intends to hold significant processions in Barasat, Siliguri, and Kolkata's Burrabazar. 

District administrations in areas prone to communal tensions during previous celebrations, such as Hooghly, Howrah, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur, Asansol, and Barrackpore, are also vigilant.

“The police have said anyone found flouting law and order would be strictly dealt with”, the Hindustan Times reports.

The police have emphasised strict enforcement of law and order, forbidding the public display of weapons during the processions, and implementing videography for accountability. “No public display of weapons during processions on the festive occasion will be allowed,” an unidentified police officer told The Indian Express. Ram Navami festivities have increasingly become politically charged, often resulting in confrontations and communal unrest.

As per a Hindustan Times report, recent clashes in Howrah, North Dinajpur, and Hooghly have left ten people injured. Despite the state government's attempt to reroute processions, the Calcutta High Court has permitted Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Anjani Putra Sena to proceed in Howrah on April 17, albeit under certain conditions.

The Hindu Jagran Manch anticipates substantial participation in Wednesday's processions, urging adherence to law and order while emphasising equal celebration rights for all faiths. 

However, political leaders have engaged in a war of words, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress of hindering celebrations, while Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleges the BJP's plot to incite riots for electoral gains. 

ANI quotes Prime Minister Narendra Modi: "This is the first Ram Navami when Ram Lalla has been enthroned in the grand temple in Ayodhya. I know TMC, as always, tried its best to stop the Ram Navami celebrations here, and hatched several conspiracies. But only truth wins. Therefore, permission has been granted by the court and tomorrow Ram Navami processions will be taken out with full reverence and devotion. I congratulate all my brothers and sisters of Bengal on this occasion."

Banerjee urges vigilance and urges people to resist provocations, alleging the BJP's plan to use the National Investigation Agency for political arrests.