The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government on violence that broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah city last week.
Official sources said on Tuesday that the state government has been asked to submit the report as soon as possible.
The MHA’s move came after West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Sukanta Majumdar on Sunday wrote his second letter to Home Minister Amit Shah over the violence and sought his immediate intervention.
In the second letter, the state BJP chief said, “In continuation to my earlier letter dated March 31 regarding the communal attack on the processions of Ram Navami in Howrah and Dalkhola, it is further informed that the attack has not yet been stopped and is occurring in different parts of West Bengal.”
Majumdar complained that there was another attack on the Ram Navami procession at Rishra in the Hooghly district on Sunday in which BJP MP and All India Vice President Dilip Ghosh was participating.
“Along with the Ram Bhaktas, he too was attacked by stone pelting. His vehicle was torched and incidents of arson happened as police stood still as mere spectators which strengthens our allegations that there is definite support from the ruling party TMC and section of the administration led by Mamata Banerjee who has already issued several statements in favour of the miscreants belonging to the minority community,” the BJP leader said.
“In view of the deteriorating law and order situation, we immediately seek your kind intervention as per law so that the situation does not go out of control and lives and properties of ordinary citizens are saved,” he said.
Shah on Sunday had spoken to state Governor C V Ananda Bose and took stock of the situation.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assured strict action against the perpetrators of the violence and asserted that the usage of an unauthorised route led to the clash.