Janmashtami nears, Bengal tense
FLASH POINT The TMC government has told the police to be on guard to avoid a repeat of Ram Navami clashes Some people have some plans over Rath Yatra and Janmashtami festivals. They might try to implement their plans. But everyone has to be careful MAMATA BANERJEE, West Bengal chief minister KOLKATA:
Tension between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has started simmering again and this time over the celebration of Janmashtami festival in a big way by right-wing organisations in the state on September 2.
A couple of days ago, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha announced that thousands of party workers will celebrate Janmashtami in a major way in Bengal on September 2. He added that party supporters will celebrate Rath Yatra on July 14.
In addition, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)’s Bengal unit issued a statement saying it would organise over 500 rallies throughout the state on the occasion of Janmasthami.
Following these announcements, chief minister Mamata Banerjee issued a note of caution for the police to be alert and resist any attempt to spread communal violence over these two festivals.
“Some people have some plans over Rath Yatra and Janmashtami festivals. They might try to implement their plans. But everyone has to be careful. The administration should be specially careful. None should be allowed to create communal tension that might lead to riots,” she said at an administrative review meeting in Cooch Behar on Wednesday.
The state chief secretary, home secretary and police chief were present at the meeting.
The development assumes significance because the two camps have had prolonged confrontations over Ram Navami celebrations in 2017 and 2018.
In 2017, saffron camp followers took out processions displaying arms in different parts of Bengal, including Bhawanipore, the chief minister’s home turf, in Kolkata for the first time. In 2018, riots broke out in Asansol and Ranigunj areas in West Burdwan district over Ram Navami rallies on March 25 and the days following it.
Five persons -- three in Asansol, one in Ranigunj and one in Purulia -- were killed in the clashes.
On Thursday, BJP leaders alleged that the chief minister is politcising the issue. “Both Rath Yatra and Janmashtami are celebrated in Bengal for years. What is the problem if BJP supporters participate in these? The chief minister is unnecessarily making provocative statements,” remarked Sinha.
BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said the BJP will utilise the two occasions to connect with the people. “There is no need to identify political intentions in such festivals,” he said.
State food and supplies minister Jyotipriyo Mullick alleged, “BJP knows they can’t earn public sympathy in the state. Therefore, their plan is to further their political agenda using religious festivals.”
Leader of Left Parties in the Bengal assembly, Sujan Chakrabarty, however, described the war of words as a mock- fight. “Actually the BJP and Trinamool are hand-in-glove with each other. These are attempts to hoodwink the people,” he said.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police arrested four people on Wednesday night for allegedly running a sex racket in a guest house owned by the Konnagar municipality in a Kolkata suburb.
Among those arrested were two pimps and two managers of the guest house, about 25 km from Kolkata. CID officers raided Bishramika Guest House on Indira Gandhi Road of Konnagar after being tipped off.
“A raid was conducted by a CID team on Wednesday evening at Bishramika Guest House in Konnagar by engaging a decoy customer wherein five minor girls have been rescued,” said a CID statement.
Among the pimps, one is a woman.
Police later sealed the guest house. Those arrested were identified as Avinash Kanu, Bibekananda Bera, Sukh Dev Das and Kalpana Chakraborty.
Bappaditya Chatterjee, chairman of the municipality, said the lease was issued around 2014 but could not recall the lessee’s name.
“I have told police that I will supply them with details of the person who took the guest house on lease. The complaint should name him. We would cancel the lease at the next meeting,” Chatterjee said.
Chatterjee said that though the raid took place on Wednesday evening, he came to know about it only on Thursday morning.
The CID raid also brought to light a turf war in the municipality with local councillor and former chairman of the municipality Tapan Das alleging that the racket had been thriving for years.
“The accommodation was used for a sex racket for about 4-5 years. But I could not lodge a complaint since I was targeted earlier for speaking to the media last year when two employees of the civic body were held for collecting money from the public promising them apartments. My shop was vandalised and I was thrashed,” Das said.
KOLKATA: