Bengal Ram Navami violence: Babul Supriyo stopped from entering Asansol, FIR filed

Union minister Babul Supriyo was prevented by police from entering his constituency, Asansol, where the situation remained tense on Thursday after violence over Ram Navami celebrations erupted earlier this week. Supriyo, who tried to enter the Railpar area in Paschim Bardhaman district, was stopped just outside the town by police, who cited security reasons. Reportedly, a group of people shouted slogans against the minister and demanded that he should immediately leave the area. Supriyo alleged that some people had told him when their houses were set on fire in Raniganj, the police were nowhere to be seen. “I was going there when police came and blocked my way,” he said. News channels showed him engaged in an argument with police personnel, who had surrounded his vehicle. “Shut up. Don’t you dare touch me,” Supriyo was heard shouting at the police. “People of #Ranigunj are attacked, police force is outnumbered and severely injured.And Mamata Government could only muster cutting off internet connectivity for 2 days? Because goons on the streets have been downloading weapons and bombs off the internet,is it now? (sic)” Supriyo later lashed out on Twitter. An FIR was registered against the minister at the Asansol North police station for violating prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 Cr PC and allegedly manhandling some policemen. He, however, said no rules were violated. “As a public representative I have every right to visit my constituency, especially when people are in trouble. It is my duty. But the police is saying I won’t be allowed to go as Section 144 is imposed in the area. Being a minister, I cannot violate rules,” Supriyo said. Trouble started in West Bengal on March 25 when a clash broke out between police and Bajrang Dal activists in Purulia district over an armed procession on the occasion of Ram Navami. A 50-year-old man was killed in the violence. Over the next couple of days, sporadic incidents of violence was reported from Asansol and Raniganj towns. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were also clamped in the area after tension escalated. Two others were killed in Kankinara of North 24 Parganas district and Raniganj. On Thursday, no violence was reported in the two towns as the state government put in several measures to tackle the situation. Three senior IPS officers – Vineet Goyal, additional commissioner of Kolkata Police, Siddh Nath Gupta, director (security), and Jawed Shamim, inspector general of police (traffic, north Bengal) – were rushed there and internet services suspended in the two towns. West Bengal BJP Mahila Morcha president Locket Chatterjee, who was en route to Raniganj, was also stopped on Thursday by police at Durgapur. In protest, the actress-turned-politician staged a sit-in. “The law and order situation has deteriorated sharply. Section 144 is in force. I told the police that I won’t go there. Yet, I was not allowed to proceed. Police officers are telling me to speak to the district magistrate. But he kept me waiting for more than half an hour,” she alleged. Reacting to both incidents, West Bengal parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee said the BJP was trying destroy communal peace and harmony in the state. “When the police is patrolling the area why do they want to visit Raniganj? Are they not satisfied after unleashing violence for the last two days,” he said. Senior Trinamool leader and mayor of Asansol Municipal Corporation, Jitendra Tiwari, accused Supriyo of trying to disturb peace in the area. “When Raniganj was burning, Supriyo was nowhere to be seen. He now wants to visit to provoke...,” he said. Subrata Mukherjee, the senior-most minister of CM Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet, said police officers were doing their duty and that “politics of provocation is not justified”. A senior district police official said a huge contingent of the police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) is patrolling the area. “There have been no fresh incidents of violence, although Section 144 is still imposed in the area,” he said, adding, the situation is still tense. Policemen patrolled some areas of Asansol and Raniganj, where there was tension over the past three days, during the day. Some shops were closed and there were fewer vehicles on the roads. “We are patrolling the area and taking all steps to restore normalcy. Already more than 50 people have been arrested in connection with the incidents. We are also urging people over public address systems to desist from circulating rumours,” said LN Meena, commissioner of Asansol Durgapur Police. Source: Hindustan Times