Ram Navami rallies: CPI(M) criticises TMC, BJP communalism

Kolkata: The CPI(M) West Bengal secretary Surya Kanta Mishra on Monday criticised the ruling TMC and BJP over conducting armed Ram Navami rallies and demanded that TMC should convene a all party meeting in the state.

He accused the BJP and the TMC of engaging in “competitive communalism” in the state.

The state has never witnessed such armed rallies and the administration remained a "mute spectator", Mr Mishra alleged.

“My question is from where did BJP and TMC get such huge quantity of arms? And why was the state government a mute spectator to such open display of arms and weapons?” he questioned.

“This is a  result of the competitive communalism that is being practiced by TMC and BJP in Bengal in order to create communal polarization,” he said adding that the TMC is pursuing the politics of appeasement of minorities and the trying to fan majority communalism. In this way both are helping each other to grow, he said.

“What was the need of TMC to take out Ram Navami rallies to counter BJP? They could have taken out peace rallies. The state government should immediately convene an all party meeting to discuss the situation and solve the matter,” Mr Mishra said. Clashes over Ram Navami processions continued for the second day today as members of saffron outfits clashed with police personnel in Murshidabad and Bardhaman West districts of West Bengal.

One person was killed and five police personnel were injured on Sunday during a clash between two groups in Purulia  BJP supporters defied the state.