'Bhoomi pujan' resonates in Bengal amid clashes

Kolkata: The Ram temple ‘bhoomi pujan’ in Ayodhya echoed 877km away in West Bengal on Wednesday as pujas were organized across the state amid the Covid-induced lockdown. Even the governor lighted dipak (lamps) at Raj Bhavan to mark the occasion.

The Ram puja, however, took a political turn in at least two places in Bengal — Kharagpur and Narayanpur near New Town — sparking violence in these areas.

As many as 258 people were arrested in Midnapore in connection with trouble related to Ram puja. In Malancha of Kharagpur Town, trouble broke out after police detained 12 people for gathering during the lockdown.

Police rounded up a few persons in Talbagicha area too. When SDPO Sukomal Das was on his way to the area, people pelted stones at police from behind, prompting a lathicharge.

Rangamati in ward 25 of Midnapore town was tense after police removed flags from the Hanuman Mandir and confiscated microphone during puja. At Bhatpara’s Meghna More in North 24 Parganas, two persons were arrested when they were bursting crackers on the road.

A peek at Wednesday’s incidents shows that celebrations took place in areas where BJP has made inroads in recent times. They include Barrackpore industrial belt, Dum Dum Park in North 24 Parganas, Ramrajatala in Howrah, Singur Bazar, Sandeswartala in Tarakeswar, Chinsurah, Arambag, Goghat in Hooghly, Bankura town, Bishnupur (temple city), and Sitakunda in Ayodhya Hills in Purulia. BJP supporters also organized pujas in Jalpaiguri town, Cooch Behar and Uttar Dinajpur, where the party has MPs.

Bengal BJP’s Dilip Ghosh, Rahul Sinha and Mukul Roy offered puja at home. “Why is the state government so afraid of Lord Ram?” Ghosh said, pointing to the Kharagpur incident. “People were offering puja in a temple maintaining social distancing norms. Police rounded up some of them. I leave it to the people to take a call.”

Trinamool MP Saugata Roy said his party was not opposed to performing of puja. “No one is preventing them from doing it at home. But they shouldn’t have broken the lockdown when the government has announced it in people’s interests,” he said.