TMC's counterclaim on sadhus' assault in Bengal: ‘BJP imported troublemakers’
A video went viral on Friday that showed a group of seers being purportedly stripped and assaulted by a mob in the Purulia district of West Bengal.
Reacting to the incident involving the assault of seers in the Purulia district of West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday claimed that the BJP has “imported troublemakers” from neighbouring states to harass pilgrims and sadhus ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Three seers on their way to Gangasagar Mela were stopped by a mob and assaulted near Gourangdih in Purulia district. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared the purported video of the incident on social media and alleged that the attackers were linked to the TMC, a charge refuted by the ruling party.
“The Government of West Bengal has long successfully organized the Gangasagar Mela without there being any mishaps,” TMC state spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya said in a social media post on X.
“Now, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, BJP has imported troublemakers from neighboring states to harass pilgrims and sadhus,” he added.
Read | ‘Sadhus stopped girls, asked something’: What police said on Purulia incident
Drawing parallels with past incidents, the spokesperson mentioned the brandishing of a gun by a 19-year-old during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah last year, which led to communal violence in the area. The youth, identified as Sumit Shaw, was later arrested from Munger in Bihar.
“This is reminiscent of their past actions, such as hiring 19-year-old Sumit Shaw to sow chaos during Ram Navami processions before the Panchayat elections,” Bhattacharya said.
“The police will conduct a thorough investigation, and those responsible for this disruptive political strategy will be brought to justice!” he wrote.
Read | Ram temple chief priest's ‘Mumtaz Khan’ swipe at Mamata after sadhus assaulted in Bengal's Purulia
Earlier today, Purulia district police issued a statement saying “facts are being misrepresented from certain quarters”.
“The fact is, on 11.01.24 afternoon, there was a misunderstanding between three Gangasagar-bound sadhus with three local minor girls near Kashipur over language problem. The girls got scared and local people manhandled the sadhus and damaged their vehicle, alleging a kidnapping attempt. Local police promptly intervened and rescued the sadhus,” police said.
A total of 12 people have been arrested in connection with the case.
