NEW DELHI: The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday alleged Hindu devotees carrying saffron flags were “savagely attacked” in Kolkata’s Park Circus area while returning from a Ram Navami procession. The Kolkata Police, however, denied that any such procession took place.
“As the Ram Navami procession returned, Hindu devotees were savagely attacked in Kolkata’s Park Circus Seven Point area. Stones rained down on vehicles just for carrying saffron flags. Windshields shattered. Chaos unleashed,” West Bengal BJP president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar said in a post on X. He called it “targeted violence” and accused the police of remaining “silent” and “spineless” in the face of the attack.
Majumdar directly blamed chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the incident, alleging the police were “paralyzed” by her “politics of appeasement.” He further added that the “system is shaken” by the display of “united Bengali Hindus” during Ram Navami, and warned that next year’s procession would be “bigger.”
Kolkata Police react
Responding to the allegations, Kolkata Police issued a statement saying, “No permission was taken for any procession at Park Circus, and no such procession was taken out.”
The police acknowledged receiving information about damage to a vehicle and said they intervened promptly to restore order. “A case is being registered to investigate the matter. The public is advised not to heed any rumours,” the statement added.
