In an order that just stopped short of directly blaming the police for failing to stop violence during and after Ram Navami in different parts of West Bengal, the Division Bench of the Kolkata High Court today directed the Mamata Banerjee government to seek the assistance of central paramilitary forces to ensure peace during the forthcoming Hanuman Jayanti celebrations. The two-member Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya said that, in view of events in the recent past, the order was being given to assure the general public that they were safe and would not be affected by any disturbance. The bench was hearing a petition filed on March 31 by the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, seeking a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the violence that broke out on March 30 and 31. Clashes had taken place at some places in Howrah and Hooghly districts between two groups during and after Ram Navami processions last week. The court went through the report from the State Police submitted through the Advocate-General regarding the grant of permission for Hanuman Jayanti rallies and observed: “We are of the view that more stringent conditions are required to be imposed.”
“Based on the submissions of the Advocate-General that more than 2,000 rallies are proposed to be organised, we are of the definite view that the state government should requisition the assistance of the paramilitary force from the central government.” The assistance of the paramilitary force will definitely help the state police in maintaining law and order,” the bench added.
The bench also observed that if the intelligence branch of the state police had been more vigilant, then “pre-planned” incidents of Ram Navami rallyists being pelted with stones from the roofs of neighbouring houses could have been avoided. The court also observed that the organisers of rallies would have to be held accountable, and the police would have the freedom to restrict the numbers of participants.
