A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused Hindu devotees of carrying out Ram Navami procession on ‘unauthorized routes’, the organisers of the rally have now come forward to refute her outrageous claims.
While speaking to Republic TV, the organiser of the event confirmed that they had permission to hold the procession. “We have never diverted our route…We are organising Ram Navami rally for the past 10 years,” a member of the organising team emphasised.
#LIVE | Violence broke out in Howrah during Ram Navami procession on Thursday. Republic speaks to the organiser of the event.#RamNavami #Howrah #WestBengalhttps://t.co/ge3J2OW61a pic.twitter.com/OfBmuF6Ug1
— Republic (@republic) March 31, 2023
The application, a copy of which was shared on Twitter by BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya, also bore the seal of the Howrah Police Commissioner acknowledging its receipt. It was written on March 3 this year and categorically mentioned ‘Shibpur Tram Depot’ as one of the spots on the proposed route of the Ram Navami Shobhayatra Rally. The Ram Navami procession came under attack at Shibpur in Howrah.
In a tweet, Amit Malviya said, “VHP had all the permissions for taking out the Ramanavami Shobha Yatra from BE College to Ramkrishnapur Ghat. They were on the approved route.”
“Mamata Banerjee lied when she said the route had been changed. She prejudiced the investigation and law enforcement agencies. Shameful,” he further added.
VHP had all the permissions for taking out the Ramanavami Shobha Yatra from BE College to Ramkrishnapur Ghat. They were on the approved route. Mamata Banerjee lied when she said the route had been changed. She prejudiced the investigation and law enforcement agencies. Shameful… pic.twitter.com/3dhzZHuH19
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 31, 2023
However, TMC leaders and supporters tried to dismiss it by saying that it is only an application, not approval. However, there is no evidence that the permission was denied by Howrah police. While responding to Amit Malviya’s tweet, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Riju Dutta made the Hinduphobic ‘Gaumutra’ jibe and claimed that the application letter is not the same as the permission letter.
“This is an Application Letter NOT “Permission Granted Approval” by WB Police…stop consuming litres of Gaumutra…it’s getting to your head!!” Dutta had tweeted.
A Twitter user named Vishal Rai reprimanded the TMC spokesperson and pointed out that police do not issue any special permission, besides the usual seal visible on the application letter.
“Show me a single application letter from the last 2-3 years where the police issue special permission. This is the usual stamp that is being put. You can fool others but not us who are residents of Howrah. We do know very well how this works. Stop your dirty trick,” he said.
While it is not clear if the police approved or denied the permission, there is no doubt that the organisers didn’t divert from the proposed route, as claimed by Mamata Banerjee. The violence took place at Shibpur, and the application shows that this place was on the proposed route. Moreover, there is also no proof that the police had denied permission for the event.
The Background of the Controversy
On Thursday (March 30), stones were pelted on a Ram Navami procession from the terraces of the buildings in the Shibpur area of Howrah. This led to a clash between the Hindu and Muslim groups, leading to violence and arson. Vehicles and shops were also torched during the attack.
Several disturbing videos of the incident went viral on social media. A large contingent of police was deployed to contain the law and order situation in the area. The cops conducted a flag march, fired tear gas shells and chased away the rioters.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier insinuated that violence occurs when Hindus take out Ram Navami processions through ‘Muslim areas’ and also attempted to give a clean chit to the Islamists by invoking their Faith and Ramzan.
She also claimed that the Hindu devotees deliberately changed the route to provoke the Muslims. Why did you change the route (of the Ram Navami procession)? You chose an unauthorised route to provoke a community,” Mamata Banerjee had claimed.
