Hanuman followers defy ban order, hold Suri rally

Kolkata: The police on Tuesday made a lathicharge to disperse a rally of BJP workers who shouted slogans in praise of “Shri Ram” in Suri, Birbhum.

The police set up an iron barrier on J.L. Banerjee Road near the bus stand which the rallyists tried to break through, prompting the law-enforcers to make a lathicharge. At another place on the outskirts of Suri, thousands of people ignored a police ban to participate in a rally taken out under the aegis of an organisation observing Bir Hanuman Jayanti.

The Suri police had on Sunday told the organisers of Bir Hanuman Jayanti that it would not allow holding of any rally or meeting in Suri on Tuesday. On Monday, the organisers had asked the police to allow the rally after assuring that they would not carry arms, but the police refused.

Early in the morning, a large crowd assembled at Barabagan for rally, but the police dispersed them.

The crowd then went to the outskirts of the town and around 3,000 people walked in a procession raising slogans but did not carry arms like trishul or sword as people feared they would. BJP’s state general secretary Sayantan Basu later alleged at a press conference at the party office, “The district administration at first had accorded permission, but later withdrew it on order of the TMC bosses.”

Party’s state president Dilip Ghosh said, “The police lathicharged the rallyists although the religious procession was peaceful. This is inhuman. I condemn the attack.”

Meanwhile, two civic volunteers, who were not in their white uniform and were video-recording the press meet, were heckled by some BJP members.

Senior officers, including DSP Ananda Sarkar, reached the party office with force and rescued them. District SP N. Sudheer Kumar said that three persons were arrested in this connection.

But the BJP workers marched ahead after dodging past them. The clash unfolded when the police stopped them again at the bus-stand and lathicharged them. Mr Ghosh said, Trinamul Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee accused the BJP of trying to create disharmony in the state. “They are trying in various ways but have failed so far to strike the chord with the public. They either brandish swords or make bombs to divide the society. We never did anything by taking out rallies like them. They are trying to destroy the peace in the society,” he alleged.

Mr Chatterjee claimed, “Effort of creating a polarisation on the pretext of igniting religious sentiments will never be successful in West Bengal. What Mr Ghosh is doing is provocation.”

Meanwhile, two civic volunteers, who were not in their white uniform and were video-recording the press meet, were heckled by some BJP members.

Senior officers, including DSP Ananda Sarkar, reached the party office with force and rescued them. District SP N. Sudheer Kumar said that three persons were arrested in this connection.