‘Stones rained down on saffron flags’: BJP alleges Ram Navami rally attack, police dismiss as rumour

Kolkata: BJP MP and West Bengal party president Sukanta Majumdar has claimed that a Ram Navami procession in Kolkata’s Park Circus Seven Point area was attacked on Sunday, with vehicles damaged and chaos allegedly unleashed. Majumdar, who posted videos of shattered windshields and damaged vehicles on X, accused the police of standing by silently during what he called a “targeted” attack.

“Stones were rained down on vehicles just for carrying saffron flags,” Majumdar alleged, criticising Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government and accusing the police of being paralysed by her “politics of appeasement.” He called the response “cowardly inaction” and said the events proved that the “roar of united Bengali Hindus during Ram Navami has shaken the system.”

Majumdar, also a Union Minister, vowed that next year’s Ram Navami rally would be “larger, louder, and mightier,” and claimed that the same police officers who were “mute” this time would “shower flowers” on the procession.

In response, Kolkata Police stated that no official permission had been granted for any procession in the area and clarified that “no such movement occurred.” They confirmed vehicle damage was reported and said they “intervened promptly to restore order,” with a case being registered. Authorities urged the public not to fall for rumours.

BJP leader Tarunjyoti Tewari questioned the police’s claim, referring to a recent protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill held by members of the minority community at the same location. He asked whether that gathering had received prior permission.

The Ram Navami celebrations across West Bengal, which saw participation from both BJP and Trinamool Congress leaders, have increasingly become a political flashpoint in the state, which heads to assembly polls next year. Over 2,000 rallies were held, with around 6,000 police personnel deployed for security, including drone surveillance and CCTV monitoring.

Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, claims of stone-pelting during a Ram Navami ‘Shobha Yatra’ in the Nai Sadak area prompted police to increase security. However, authorities there said no injuries occurred and called it a rumour based on unverified video footage. CCTV review yielded no evidence of stone-throwing, but an investigation has been launched.

Police in both Kolkata and Kanpur have appealed for calm and warned against spreading unverified information that could inflame tensions.

(With agency inputs)