'This is not political rally': BJP's Locket Chatterjee claims police stopped Ram Navami rally in Kolkata suburb
Times of India | 6 April 2025
BJP's Locket Chatterjee claimed police unjustly stopped her Ram Navami rally near Keshtopur. In a heated argument, she insisted the procession had the required permissions. NEW DELHI: BJP leader Locket Chatterjee on Sunday claimed that a Ram Navami rally led by her from New Town on the city’s outskirts was stopped by police near Keshtopur, prompting a change in the route of the religious procession.
Chatterjee was seen getting into a verbal spat with police at the barricaded Keshtopur crossing, close to the airport-bound VIP Road, after police allegedly blocked the rally from entering Salt Lake.
Calling the police action unjustified, Chatterjee said, “This is not a political rally. It's a spiritual congregation where people have participated spontaneously. How can the police stop this rally, which has the necessary permissions?”
Despite the standoff, the former MP walked past the barricades and advised rally participants to take an alternative route to avoid any further clash with authorities.
Chatterjee had kicked off the rally riding a two-wheeler from a Ram Temple in New Town, joined by BJP leader Arjun Singh during the initial leg.
The procession is expected to culminate at the Hanuman Mandir in Dum Dum.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Locket Chatterjee claimed that a Ram Navami rally she led was stopped by police near Keshtopur, leading to a change in the route of the religious procession.Chatterjee engaged in a verbal confrontation with police at the barricaded Keshtopur crossing, criticizing the police action as unjustified and asserting that the rally was a spiritual congregation with necessary permissions.The police stated that the deployment of barricades was standard protocol for processions during festival periods, especially in sensitive traffic zones, as the procession attempted to enter Salt Lake.