Ram Navami processionists instigated violence in Rishra, Bengal police tell court

Kolkata: Clashes and violence over the Ram Navami procession at Rishra in Hooghly district of West Bengal on April 2 were instigated by the processionists, the state government has informed the Calcutta High Court.

Chandernagore City Police, under whose jurisdiction Rishra comes, on Friday evening, submitted to the court a detailed report on the clashes.

Sources aware of the contents of the report said that it mentions that those participating in the procession had been constantly “instigating” the local people by using “abusive and offensive” language constantly since the beginning of the procession.

As per the report, although initially a section of those participating in the procession restricted themselves to using offensive language, later, some of them started pelting at the local people. Also, DJ was used in the procession without police permission and some of the participants even brandished lethal sharp weapons.

The report has maintained that such use of such offensive language and pelting of stones instigated the locals who retaliated by resorting to counter stone-pelting. It said as police tried to restrain both sides, attacks were led against the cops and some of the police vehicles were vandalized.