During a party programme in East Midnapore, the Chief Minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to fulfil his promise of hanging rioters “upside down” after a young man was arrested in Bihar for brandishing a firearm during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah.
Banerjee criticised Shah for blaming a particular community with the loaded statement on “appeasement”. She contested the stereotype about the religious identity of rioters that Shah had tried to portray and asked why he was not taking action against the arrested man, Sumit Shaw.
Banerjee accused the BJP of destroying the secular fabric and engineering riots, while highlighting the humane side of all religions. The Trinamul establishment expressed confidence that her stern message that the government would not spare anyone involved in rioting would reassure the Muslims at a time of insecurity in the community.
The BJP, on the other hand, is bullish about its prospects in the upcoming elections based on its preliminary assessment that the communal strife over Ram Navami processions would help it consolidate Hindu votes.
