West Bengal on edge ahead of Ram Navami, police steps up patrols and vigil-OxBig News Network

Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma conducts a security check at the Bara Bazar area on the eve of Ram Navami, in Kolkata on April 5, 2025.
| Photo Credit: ANI

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other hindutva groups exhorting people to join Ram Navami processions in large numbers, West Bengal remained on edge on the eve of the festival on Saturday.

As hundreds of processions are being organised the police have stepped up patrols and vigils across the State. Senior officials of the police were seen patrolling in different parts of Kolkata, Chandannagar, Howrah, Islampur and other parts of the State.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma who visited parts of the city on Saturday said that almost all senior level officials will be on the field on Sunday. Mr. Verma said that the Calcutta High Court has laid down guidelines on the processions and the same has been conveyed to the organisers. He said that the city police has received about 80 applications for processions. In Howrah also senior police officials were seen patrolling the streets of the city and the Howrah Police Commissionerate has deployed drones to keep a surveillance on roofs of high-rises.

In 2024, there was a crude bomb explosion at Shaktipur area in Murshidabad district during a Ram Navami procession. Prior to this 2023, violence broke out in Howrah’s Shibpur and Rishra in Hooghly and Dalkhola in north Bengal area during a Ram Navami procession.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged people not to heed to rumours and accused “Ram and Baam (BJP and Left)” of trying to incite riots. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari who for the past several days has been exhorting Hindus to participate in large numbers have claimed that 1.5 crore Hindus will participate in the processions.

Mr. Adhikari on Saturday urged Hindus to rise above caste and participate in the processions and “show their strength”. The BJP leader alleged that at certain places in the State youths are given notice for detention in the local police station and asked to sign a bonds issued by local magistrate in the view of Ram Navami celebrations

Over the past few days Calcutta High Court had granted permission with conditions for Ram Navami permission of Anjani Putra Sena and Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Howrah. A total of 1000 people gathering can be held with 500 people from each of the two organizations.

Reacting to the BJP leaders remarks, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh that so many festivals are observed in West Bengal and the hype over Ram Navami is a political ploy of the BJP.

Academics and civil rights activists have raised questions and concerns on “Weaponising Hindu festivals” in the State. A report on Ram Navami procession and related communal violence in West Bengal from 2016 to 2023, published in May 2024 has highlighted that the Trinamool Congress has been competing with the Bharatiya Janata Party and its other Hindutva allies in aiding and organising such processions.

The report titled ‘West Bengal: Post Ramanavami Communal Riot (2016-23)‘ by a research organisation, AAMRA Ek Sachetan Prayas, dealt with several instances of communal flare up at Asansol-Raniganj, Howrah and Rishra.

EOM