Ram Navami Clashes

The Calcutta High Court on Friday instructed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to submit a report regarding the clashes in West Bengal's Murshidabad district during Ram Navami celebrations, stating whether the probe should be handed over to the central agency. The court noted that the Murshidabad district SP in a report had referred to alleged use of bombs and other weapons resulting in injuries during the clashes in Beldanga and Saktipur on April 13 and 17. A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam directed the NIA to file a report on the clashes and other allegations made in two PILs and the alleged use of bombs. The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, directed the NIA to state in the report whether the FIRs registered in connection with the clashes be transferred to the central agency. Under the NIA Act, bomb explosion is one of the scheduled offences which can be investigated by the central agency. The court directed that the matter wil

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that the BJP instigated violence during Ram Navami celebrations in the state. She claimed that the violence in Murshidabad district was "pre-planned" and accused the saffron party of orchestrating it ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. A blast happened near a procession in Murshidabad's Shaktipur area on Wednesday, injuring a woman, police said. "Everything was pre-planned. The DIG of Murshidabad was removed a day ahead of Ram Navami so that you (the BJP) can carry out violence," she said at an election rally in the Raiganj Lok Sabha constituency. The chief minister also claimed that goons associated with the BJP roughed up police personnel in the district. The BJP, meanwhile, alleged that stones were pelted at a Ram Navami procession in Rejinagar area of the district.

On the ninth day of Chaitra Navratri, devotees worship Maa Siddhidatri, the ninth form of Goddess Durga

The Hindu Jagran Manch is set to organise around 5,000 religious processions at the ward or panchayat level in all districts of West Bengal

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered an NIA investigation into the violence in Shibpur in Howrah district during Ram Navami celebrations. Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, a division bench presided by Acting Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam directed for the transfer of investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from the West Bengal Police. In the PIL, Adhikari sought an NIA probe into the violence, during which it was alleged that bombs exploded. The court directed the state police to transfer all records and CCTV footage relating to the matter to the central government within two weeks. The Centre was directed to send the documents to the NIA thereafter.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday stepped up his attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after the police there reportedly said the violence during Ram Navami was pre-planned, saying as to why the state government "was sleeping". This comes a few days after the Hyderabad MP had slammed the Bihar and West Bengal governments over the processions during festivities leading to violence on Ram Navami. "I had said earlier that it was pre-planned. When it was pre-planned, why were you people sleeping?... It is the failure of the Nitish Kumar-RJD government. They proved to be a failure in stopping this violence," he told reporters here. The authorities gave permission for a procession and the police remained a mute spectator when a madrasa is burnt in front of them, Owaisi alleged. "When such a major violence takes place, the government so far does not talk about giving compensation. You (Bihar government) don't suspend those policemen. Instead of that, you do 'Iftar', eating .

Describing the current situation in the violence-hit areas of West Bengal as "peaceful", Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that a fact finding' team sent by a little-known NGO was visiting the state in a bid to disrupt law and order situation here. Questioning the authority of the team headed by a former Patna High Court judge, Banerjee pointed out that Ram Navami processions organised by BJP had carried arms and driven tractors and deliberately taken routes where Namaz' was being offered. "The situation is absolutely peaceful now. To disrupt peace in the area, the fact finding team has come here. What is the function of this team? What does it do? In every matter, they (the Centre) send the Human Rights Commission, Women's Commission, Child Commission and Media Commission," Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, said. West Bengal has witnessed violence in parts of Hooghly and Howrah districts during Ram Navami rallies. Police did not allow the 'fact-finding'

The fact-finding team was on a three-day tour of West Bengal to assess alleged human rights violations in the state during Ram Navami processions in Howrah and Hooghly districts

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC is in force at Shastrinagar in Jharkhand's Jamshedpur, after alleged desecration of a religious flag led to brick-batting and arson between two groups, officials said. Two shops and an auto-rickshaw were set ablaze by the warring groups and the police fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob on Sunday evening, they said. Prohibitory Orders under Section 144 of CrPC were clamped in the area, Sub-Divisional Officer (Dhalbhum), Piyush Sinha, said. Tension had been brewing in the area since Saturday night when members of a local organisation found that a piece of meat was tagged to a Ram Navami flag, police said. The situation turned violent on Sunday evening when a shop was gutted, leading to brick-batting from both sides. A mob also set on fire an autorickshaw, forcing the police to fire tear gas shells. SSP Prabhat Kumar said adequate police force has been deployed at Shastrinagar to maintain law and order. The situation is under cont

The report has maintained that such use of such offensive language and pelting of stones instigated the locals who retaliated by resorting to counter stone-pelting

The Trinamool Congress on Friday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of adopting "double standards" while addressing incidents of violence during Ram Navami in various states. Ram Navami was celebrated across the country last week with grand processions and special pujas, but the festivities were marred by the deaths of 14 people in separate incidents in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and clashes and arson in some parts of the country. Prohibitory orders were imposed in West Bengal's Hooghly and Howrah districts, where clashes broke out between two groups when processions were taken out to celebrate Ram Navami. HM@AmitShah shows DOUBLE STANDARD in addressing Ram Navami violence: Goes all ballistic on Opposition-ruled states: West Bengal & Bihar. Takes no actions against @BJP4India& Allies-ruled states: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, & UP. Rules for thee but not for me, much? TMC posted on its official Twitter handle. Shah had said that if the BJP comes to power in Bihar,

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday hit out at the Bihar and West Bengal governments over clashes in the states during the Ram Navami celebrations

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday hit out at the Bihar and West Bengal governments, over the communal clashes in the states during the Ram Navami festivities

After clashes between two groups during the Ram Navami celebrations in parts of Bihar, the state police on Sunday said the situation in Nalanda's Biharsharif was completely normal

Section 144 also imposed in Bihar's Nalanda and also in Sasaram, which reported a clash on March 31

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Voicing concern over increasing incidents of communal tension in the country, Gehlot said development of the country is not possible without peace

The CM said this in the wake of the violence in the state's Karauli after a bike rally held to mark Hindu new year was pelted with stones on April 2

It said there have been "highly objectionable" incidents such as in Bihar where a saffron flag was planted on a mosque in the presence of police

Tension prevailed in Jharkhand's Lohardaga district after incidents of stone pelting and arson during Ram Navami fair on Sunday in Hirahi-Hendlaso village