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BJP president JP Nadda spoke to his party's West Bengal unit chief Sukanta Majumdar on Monday evening over the situation in violence-hit Howrah and Hooghly districts.
Speaking to PTI, Majumdar said Nadda called him around 6.20 pm, and enquired about the prevailing situation in the two districts that were rocked by violence during Ram Navami processions.
He said he urged Nadda for the deployment of central forces in the trouble-torn areas, alleging that the state police has failed to control the situation.
"I also urged him for an NIA probe into the violence in Hooghly's Rishra and Howrah's Shibpur. The truth can come out only after an NIA probe," he claimed.
Majumdar, the Lok Sabha MP of Balurghat, was stopped from going to Rishra in the afternoon by the police, which cited prohibitory orders imposed in the area following Sunday's violence for refusing permission to his visit.
"The police did not allow me to visit the area but TMC leaders were freely going there," he said.
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Serampore's TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee alleged that "goons" were brought in by the BJP from outside the state for the Ram Navami procession in Rishra.
Rejecting the demand for an NIA probe and deployment of central forces, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the state police were taking all necessary steps to control the situation.
"Action is being taken against the culprits, irrespective of their political affiliation or religion. The state police are competent enough to handle the situation. There is neither the need for central forces nor NIA probe into the incidents," he said.
A Ram Navami rally was attacked in Rishra's Wellington Jute Mill More area on Sunday, triggering violent clashes between two groups. Prohibitory orders were imposed and the internet was suspended to prevent a further flare-up. Pursurah's BJP MLA Biman Ghosh was injured in the violence, besides a few policemen.
So far, 12 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, according to police.
Violence during Ram Navami celebrations also rocked neighbouring Howrah district's Shibpur area on Thursday and Friday. Over 45 people were arrested, prohibitory orders were imposed and the internet was suspended to bring the situation under control.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
