West Bengal’s Minister of Cooperation Arup Roy on Saturday that the police could not handle the situation in Howrah when violence broke out on Thursday on the occasion of the Ram Navami. He also described the incident as a conspiracy against the TMC government in the state.


He told ABP News, "The Chief Minister has also said the police could not control the situation. I also think there were some mistakes by the police, as they could not handle the situation."






Roy, the MLA from Howrah Madhya constituency, further said, "Incidents of Bengal violence were a part of BJP's conspiracy. Last year also, a similar incident occurred in the same area."


He urged everyone to maintain peace and calm in the region.


While responding to a question on people taking part in the procession after taking the required permission, he said, "Does anyone go in a procession with a revolver? Does anyone carry swords in a procession?"


West Bengal’s Howrah district on Thursday (March 30) witnessed violence and arson after clashes broke out between two groups during Ram Navami festivities after which several vehicles were torched and shops were ransacked in the area, police said.


According to inputs, 10 persons were injured in the incident while 36 people were detained. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that culprits won’t be spared and the law will take its course.


The incident occurred when the procession was passing through the Kazipara locality, news agency PTI reported a police officer as saying.


Several shops and auto-rickshaws were ransacked during the violence and several cars, including a few police vehicles, were set ablaze. Four fire tenders were rushed to extinguish the blaze.


As per PTI’s report, the police used force to disperse the mob. A large contingent of police was deployed in the locality where the situation is now said to be under control.


Mamata Banerjee Accuses BJP For The Violence


The West Bengal Chief Minister accused the BJP of trying to stoke communal tension during the Ram Navami procession in Howrah and said those involved in the incident would not be spared.


“I have repeatedly said that no Ram Navami procession will be blocked. I had given clear instructions to the police in this regard. While one community is celebrating Annapurna Puja, the other is observing fast during Ramzan,” she said while concluding her 30-hour extended sit-in in a protest in Kolkata, as quoted by PTI.


“Those who were involved in today’s violence will not be spared. I do not support riot mongers and consider them the enemy of the country. The BJP has always targeted Howrah. The other targets for them are Park Circus and Islampur. Everybody must be alert in their localities,” she remarked.


BJP Dissmises Allegations


However, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari termed the Chief Minister’s claims as “baseless”. “The chief minister and the state administration are responsible for the violence,” he opined, as quoted by PTI.


West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar countered CM Mamata’s allegation saying, “TMC is lying because it was not the wrong route. There was permission till Howrah ground and this was the only route to go there.”


“Now such days have come in India that you can take out Ram Navami procession in some areas and can't go to other areas,” he remarked, as quoted by news agency ANI.


BJP Lok Sabha MP Jagannath Sarkar Demands NIA Probe


Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP Lok Sabha MP Jagannath Sarkar has demanded that National Investigation Agency investigate the root cause of violence in Howrah during Ram Navami celebrations, as reported by the news agency ANI.


In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Sarkar requested "the intervention of Central forces to prevent the spread of repression in Howrah, demands NIA investigate the root cause of riots."


A special team led by Inspector General of Police, CID Sunil Choudhury has initiated the investigation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also earlier spoke to West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and took stock of the situation in Howrah where violence broke out. Shah also called West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar and enquired about the law and order situation in the state.


West Bengal BJP chief on Friday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into violence in Howrah during Ram Navami celebrations. Following the violence in West Bengal's


Howrah during Ram Navami celebrations, the Leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Friday filed a PIL in Calcutta High Court seeking an NIA probe into the matter and immediate deployment of Central Forces in the violence-affected areas.