Violence over Ram Navami procession in Bengal’s Howrah; stones pelted, vehicles torched

Several vehicles were torched after violent clashes erupted between two groups during a Ram Navami procession in West Bengal's Howrah today.

Visuals shared by ANI showed police personnel on the spot during the ruckus. A police van and a car with their glasses smashed were also seen in the videos from the spot.

Several shops and auto-rickshaws were ransacked during the violence while a number of cars including a few police vehicles were set on fire. Four fire tenders were pressed into service to extinguish the blaze. The police used force to disperse the mob. A large contingent of police was deployed in the locality where the situation is stated to be under control.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a dharna, said strict action will be taken against the culprits.

The chief minister slammed the BJP for allegedly trying to stoke communal tension during the Ram Navami procession in Howrah and said those involved in the incident will not be spared.

"I have repeatedly said that I will not block any Ram Navami procession. I had given clear instructions to the police in this regard. While one community is celebrating Annapurna Puja, the other is observing fast during Ramzan," she said while concluding her 30-hour extended sit-in in a demonstration in the city.

"Those who were involved in today's violence will not be spared. I do not support riot mongers and consider them the enemy of the country. The BJP has always targeted Howrah. The other targets for them are Park Circus and Islampur. Everybody must be alert in their localities," she said.

The BJP hit back at Mamata Banerjee saying it is a brazen attack on Hindu sentiments.

"Mamata Banerjee held dharna on Ramanavami, then warned Hindus about avoiding Muslim areas because it was Ramzan, forgetting that Hindus too were fasting for Navratri. As Home Minister of WB she is directly responsible for Howrah violence," tweeted BJP leader Amit Malviya.

Not just Howrah, incidents of clashes were reported from other states on the occasion of Ram Navami. Stone pelting was reported during a procession in Fatehpura area of Vadodara in Gujarat, PTI reported.

While some vehicles got damaged, no one was injured in the incident and the procession passed along its planned route under police protection, said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Yashpal Jaganiya.

"We have deployed armed personnel from regular police, crime branch, SOG and State Reserve Police Force. As of now, there are no reports of anyone getting injured due to the stone pelting. We have ordered an inquiry into the incident," Manoj Ninama, additional commissioner of police, told PTI.

In Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 12 people including ten police personnel were injured after a mob of around 500 people hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles during a clash between two groups.