Kolkata: Once a low-key religious festival limited to a few pockets, Ram Navami has become a flashpoint in West Bengal in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) bid to polarise the state along religious lines – a strategy tacitly enabled by the ruling Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) through competitive religious symbolism.
Ahead of Ram Navami, the had BJP orchestrated a campaign of intimidation and religious muscle-flexing. In Howrah’s Sankrail, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) Singha Bahini faction marched in an armed procession, while similar rallies in Asansol stoked communal tensions. The Bajrang Dal, the BJP’s militant youth wing, has deployed “Bajrangi Sena” squads of 50 members each to guard processions, signalling a deliberate escalation.
On Friday, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh, known for provocative statements, announced, “If anyone tries to stop the procession, we’ll push through them. Hindus across India have united after seeing Bangladesh’s situation. Bengal’s Hindus are uniting now too.”
The charged atmosphere gave way to clashes on the streets. In North Dinajpur, former BJP and TMC workers became violent over procession routes, prompting heavy police deployment.
“We do not have any specific numbers on Ram Navami procession, but people are spontaneously taking part. The number is increasing every year,” claimed BJP MP Samik Bhattacarya.
In Kolkata and some other pockets, however, scenes of bonhomie between Muslims and rallying Hindus were seen. Footage of Muslims offering water and throwing flower petals at processions were widely shared on social media, including by the ruling TMC, through its X account.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
