On the day Mamata Banerjee warned political groups in her state to refrain from stirring communal passions, complaints were filed against West Bengal BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh and Locket Chatterjee over rallies during Ram Navami.
According to reports, a police complaint was filed in Kharagpur Town Police Station in of West Midnapore district on Monday against Ghosh – the state BJP president – for allegedly carrying arms during a rally on the occasion of Ram Navami.
Ghosh had led a rally in which participants were seen brandishing traditional weapons such as swords and tridents.
The police said that video footage allegedly showing Ghosh carrying arms is been verified.
On the same day, a case was registered against Locket Chatterjee.
The BJP West Bengal Mahila Morcha president is accused of participating in an armed Ram Navami procession in Birbhum district.
“A case has been lodged against Locket Chatterjee, which also includes non-bailable sections for participating in a rally with arms,” Birbhum Superintendent of Police (SP) N Sudheer Kumar said.
The West Bengal Chief Minister had on Monday issued stern warning to the organisers of armed rallies. Addressing an administrative review meeting in Pailan in South 24 Parganas, Banerjee said that she has instructed all the SPs to take strong action and not spare any wrongdoer.
Her comments came a day after violent clashes during Ram Navami processions in the state left one person dead and several injured.
“Did Lord Ram ever say that armed rallies with pistols and swords should be organised in his name? Did Lord Ram ever carry a sword?” asked a livid supremo of the Trinamool Congress, which too organised a few rallies in Kolkata, albeit unarmed.
Though her government had imposed a ban on carrying weapons in public, several armed rallies were taken out by right-wing groups in various parts of the state.
Reports say that a 50-year-old villager identified as SK Sajahan was killed during a clash between two groups in Purulia over a Ram Navami procession. Five police personnel were injured during the clash.
“What we witnessed yesterday is the handiwork of one party,” she said in an apparent reference to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).