Calcutta: There were sporadic clashes between police and saffron activists in West Bengal on Wednesday for challenging the total blockade and holding celebrations for the opening ceremony of the Ayodhya Ram Temple.
Normal life was completely paralyzed in the state due to the closure, the fourth in fifteen days.
According to police, more than 3,400 people were arrested from various parts of the state, including 850 from the city, for violating the lockdown “regardless of their reasons.”
Clashes were reported from Kharagpur in the West Midnapore district, Narayanpur in the north of 24 cities of Parganas, Coochbehar and Alipurduar in North Bengal, among others.
In Kharagpur, police stopped a procession of BJP workers to mark the day, sparking a fight.
“Some police officers were injured in the incident and several BJP workers were arrested,” said a police officer.
In the city of Alipurduar, BJP workers were prevented from organizing a Bhoomi pooja celebration amid the total closure that led to a tense situation.
BJP workers also tried to organize a “yagna” in the Narayanpur area but were stopped by locals. Police said “force” had to be used to disperse the crowd.
“BJP was trying to disturb the peace in the area, but local people stopped them,” said local Trinamool Congress leader Tapas Chatterjee.
Fights with the police were also reported in the Coochbehar district, where BJP supporters were prevented from holding a demonstration.
BJP State President Dilip Ghosh, who organized a “Bhoomi pooja” celebration at his New Town residence here, said the police crackdown reflected the “anti-Hindu mindset” of the state government.
“The TMC government has deliberately ignored the feelings of Hindus in the state,” he said.
“We were requesting (the state government) during the last days to change the date of the total blockade, but it was not attended to. When Lord Ram devotees want to celebrate the day in a small way in Bengal, they are detained by the police, ”added Ghosh.
The National Secretary-General of the BJP, Kailash Vijayvargiya, lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee government for the police action.
Lord Ram is worshiped throughout the world. But the @MamataOfficial government is insulting the beliefs of Hindus. Are we living in the land of sharia that we cannot celebrate Lord Ram in Bengal? “he tweeted.
In response, Trinamool Congresswoman Saugata Roy said the allegations are unfounded.
“There is no harm in the celebrations, but the confinement has been restricted due to COVID-19. We should all respect that and comply with it, ”he said.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and BJP workers in Kolkata celebrated the laying of the foundation stone of the Ram Temple. The rituals were carried out in areas such as Baghbazar and Burrabazar.
The celebrations were organized by BJP and right-wing groups in various other parts of the state and took place peacefully. A “yagna” was organized by BJP workers in Rajganj in the Jalpaiguri district.
In many districts, Trinamool workers and congressional leaders also organized “Ram puja” to commemorate the day.
Normal life was paralyzed in most of the state due to Wednesday’s shutdown, which was part of the state government’s twice-weekly measure since July 23 to break the chain of contagion. Public transportation was off the roads, and government and private offices, banks, and commercial establishments remained closed.
Only those involved in essential services such as health establishments, as well as pharmacies and gasoline pumps, worked.
Air services to and from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport were suspended for the day and long-distance trains were rescheduled due to the closure, the fourth in 15 days.
Schools, universities, and other educational institutions in the state had been closed since late March when the first phase of the national shutdown was imposed.
The West Bengal government imposed a total lockdown on the state on August 5, 8, 20, 21, 27, 28, and 31, according to a notice issued Monday.
The state’s number of cases reached 83,800, while the death toll from coronavirus rose to 1,846 on Tuesday, a health department bulletin said.
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