Violence broke out in West Bengal’s Howrah district on Sunday over a picture made during a drawing competition during a Durga Puja celebration, prompting authorities to deploy the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and impose prohibitory orders.
Swati Bhangalia, Superintendent of Police, Howrah, said a complaint was filed by a community regarding the objectionable picture, after which the police registered a case and arrested a few people. “In the Howrah district, unrest broke out during a Durga Puja celebration over a picture. The community objected to it and they came to the police station to submit a deputation. The deputation was received and a complaint was taken. Accordingly, a case was filed and arrests were also made. However, a section of them attacked the police, who retaliated and made more arrests,” said Bhangalia.
Bhangalia said the situation was under control and that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to disrupt the peace. She also urged the public to maintain communal harmony.
“We received information about vandalism in some puja pandals. We immediately sent force and the situation was brought under control. So far, 25 to 30 people have been arrested. We are patrolling in the area and have also imposed Section 144 in the area,” said Swati Bhangalia, SP Howrah.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari urged the police and the administration to take action against “unruly vandals”.
“Today a group of miscreants while returning from the Shyampur Police Station where they went to submit a deputation, went berserk and started vandalising the Durga Puja Pandals. I would like to urge the DG @WBPolice to send adequate forces immediately at the spot to quell the vandalism and take action against the unruly vandals. Secretary @HomeBengal, you must monitor the whole situation till normalcy is restored.DM @HowrahDistrict & SP @RuralHowrah please take all steps necessary…,” Adhikari posted on X.
BJP IT Cell in charge Amit Malviya also post on X about the violence in the Shyampur area.
“West Bengal is burning, again. A group of criminal thugs, after submitting a deputation at Shyampur Police Station, unleashed chaos in the Shyampur area. These anti-social individuals engaged in blatant vandalism, targeting Durga Puja pandals in the locality… The situation has grown increasingly tense in areas under the Shyampur Police Station, which comes under the Howrah Rural Police District. This is a heinous act of violence and an assault on our traditions and the peaceful observance of Durga Puja,” Malviya said in his post.