Amid the furore over violence during the celebration of Ram Navami in West Bengal, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has decided to conduct 500 Hanuman Jayanti programmes across the state on Thursday.
VHP national assistant secretary Sachindranath Singha told PTI that no weapons would be carried during the Hanuman Jayanti processions in the state.
"Around 500 small programmes would be organised across the state. We won't take out too many rallies and only a few will be held".
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"No weapons will be carried during the rallies," he said. When asked whether the decision not to hold many processions is the fallout of the violence during Ram Navami, Singha replied in the negative.
"Rallies are taken out during Ram Navami, and programmes are organised during Hanuman Jayanti. It has nothing to do with the problems during Ram Navami this time," he said.
Prohibitory orders were imposed in West Bengal's Hooghly and Howrah districts, where clashes broke out between two groups during the Ram Navami procession.
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal government to requisition central forces to assist the state police in maintaining peace during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations.
Singha welcomed the court order and blamed the state government for violence during the recent Ram Navami celebrations.
"The state government should have taken stern measures," he said. Reacting to Singha's comment, TMC state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh blamed the BJP and VHP for fomenting trouble in the state.
"The BJP, RSS and its affiliates like the VHP are fomenting trouble in the area. They are trying to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the state," he said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged people to celebrate the Hanuman Jayanti festival peacefully.
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