To ensure security, Kolkata Police took several measures to prevent any untoward incidents in and around the city during West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's 'Sampriti Rally' and 35 smaller processions on Monday, coinciding with the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, according to a senior officer.
The officer said that around 4,000 policemen will be deployed on city roads and several traffic diversions have been planned to ensure that commuters do not face problems, reported news agency PTI.
"The proposed rallies will pass through Bhowanipore, Camac Street, Sealdah, Garfa, Patuli, Sakuntala Park, and the port areas," he added.
The officer further stated, "Normally, we witness a heavy rush of office-goers on Mondays because it's the first day of the week. Tomorrow, since we have a large number of rallies, a decision has been made to deploy 4,000 policemen on the roads to ensure smooth traffic flow".
The officer further told PTI that additional forces have been put on standby in each division under Kolkata Police jurisdiction. "All police stations have been instructed to remain alert throughout the day. Police stations where pujas and rallies are scheduled have been asked to be extra cautious".
Notably, all rallies will be videographed, and policemen will accompany them to ensure there is no disruption of law and order, the officer added.
As per the PTI report, TMC's 'Sampriti Rally', which will start around 3 pm from Hazra crossing and pass through Hazra Road and Syed Amir Ali Avenue to reach Park Circus Maidan, will have two layers of security due to the presence of the Bengal CM.
Most of the private schools located along the rally routes in the city have either suspended classes or arranged for virtual classes to ensure that neither students nor teachers face any difficulties. Other schools along the route of the 'Sampriti Rally' have announced that they will be closed for the day, school sources confirmed, the PTI report added.
Haven't Been Taught To Embrace Place Of Worship Built Over Hatred: TMC's Abhishek Banerjee
On the eve of the Ram temple opening ceremony, senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said that his religion has not taught him to accept and embrace a place of worship that has been built over hatred, violence, and the dead bodies of innocents.
Abhishek, who is the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, took to social media platform X and posted, "My religion has not taught me to accept and embrace a place of worship, whether it be a mandir, masjid, church, or gurudwara, which has been built over hatred, violence and the dead bodies of innocents. Period!"
Reacting to his statement, the BJP said the TMC leader made such a statement when the country was awaiting the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya out of hopelessness.
BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya told PTI, "A state where an incident like the Bogtui massacre happens, in which people of the minority community are slaughtered, the ruling party has no right to speak about these things. Such statements do not suit the TMC which believes in the politics of violence. They are making such statements out of hopelessness in the wake of the overwhelming enthusiasm shown by the people for the historic event. They have understood that people have rejected them."