BJP-led processions 'deliberately' entered minority areas, triggered violence: Mamata Banerjee 

Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) for the clashes in the state during Ram Navami rallies last week. She alleged the saffron party "deliberately" entered minority areas with the processions despite having no permission. Banerjee alleged the BJP was doing this in view of the upcoming panchayat elections and the 2024 general election.

• Banerjee's remarks follow violent clashes during Ram Navami processions in the state's Howrah and Hooghly.
• On Friday, two groups fought in Howrah, culminating in the destruction of numerous cars and vandalism of public and private property. On Sunday, a Ram Navami rally was reportedly attacked in Hooghly's Rishra,
• Similar communal clashes have been reported in other states, such as Bihar and Maharashtra, since Thursday.

According to Hindustan Times, Banerjee blamed the BJP for the violence that erupted around Ram Navami. She alleged the party "deliberately" entered minority-dominated areas with processions without permission. "I will do everything for [people], but I request you not to support BJP—the party that creates riots—in the upcoming panchayat elections and the 2024 general election," she said, addressing a rally in East Mednipur's Khejuri.

Banerjee further accused the BJP, saying, "The central forces came here, stayed in a five-star hotel, instigated a riot, held a meeting with the BJP leaders, and then returned." However, the party denied the allegations and instead blamed the TMC for the violence and demanded CM Banerjee's resignation. Notably, following incidents of violence in Howrah, West Bengal's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) launched a probe.

On Sunday, the BJP alleged that a Ram Navami rally was attacked outside a mosque at Rishra in West Bengal's Hooghly district. It claimed that BJP MLA Biman Ghosh was also injured in the incident. It also alleged that stones were pelted at the rally.

Separately, TMC leader Shashi Panja also claimed that violence occurs whenever the BJP organizes rallies. "Today also the same thing happened during the BJP rally which was headed by Dilip Ghosh," she earlier told ANI. She also claimed that the whole incident was pre-planned by Ghosh, adding that the TMC condemned this act of the BJP.

Violence broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession last week on Thursday as it was passing through Kazipara in Howrah. CM Banerjee blamed the BJP and other right-wing groups for it. However, the BJP and others in the saffron brigade denied the allegations and instead demanded an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the incident.