Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 6: If the BJP wanted to make Ram Navami celebrations on Sunday a saffron issue in West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress punctured it. The TMC competed with the BJP in organising the Ram Navami rallies in different parts of the state and were also joined by the Muslims to deny the BJP to give the celebrations “Hindutva” colour ahead of the state Assembly elections next year.
The celebrations featured several high-profile rallies and events across the state amid heightened security and concerns of potential unrest, as leaders from both the BJP and TMC took part in the festivities. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had ordered extensive police deployment on the streets this year in view of the communal tension that erupted in the state in 2022, 2023 and 2024
The Ram Navami celebrations on Sunday were held peacefully across the state where sporadic violence had marred the festival in recent years. Muslims served sweets to Hindus and the leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP marching together in rallies.
Ms Banerjee wished the citizens at 6.30am through a post on X on the auspicious occasion. “Greetings to all on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami. I appeal to all to maintain and uphold the values of peace, prosperity and development of all. I wish the celebration of the Ram Navami all success, in a peaceful manner,” she wrote.
TMC Parliament members, legislators, ministers and district leaders offered pujas at temples and also joined BJP leaders at rallies held by organisations such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagran Manch. Thousands took part in these rallies across Bengal. No violence was reported till late night. Rally organizers had some dispute with police at a couple of locations over the route they were asked to follow. Police also seized some sharp weapons from the participants of the rally.
In a significant development ahead of next year’s assembly polls, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari laid the foundation stone of a Ram temple in Nandigram’s Sonachura village in Purba Medinipur district where already a Ram temple exists for over 100 years. A total of around 2,500 Ram Navami rallies were organised across West Bengal, with over 6,000 police personnel deployed to maintain law and order.
Industry minister Sashi Panja held a yagna at a temple in Kolkata’s Bagbazar in the morning. “We all worship almighty Ram. It is BJP that is turning a public festival into a political narrative,” said Panja.
In Howrah district, where communal violence prompted the Calcutta high court to order a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2023, Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar led a rally by a Hindu outfit.
TMC MLA Gautam Chowdhury took part in a VHP rally at Howrah’s Salkia saying religion has no political colour. Majumdar said: “Police have blocked the roads where violence erupted in the past. Can’t Hindus, who comprise 70% of Bengal’s population, celebrate Ram Navami without police protection?”
“TMC leaders have dived into the celebrations to gain political mileage before the 2026 assembly polls. They want to steal the Hindu vote bank,” said Majumdar. TMC Lok Sabha members Kalyan Banerjee and Shatabdi Roy led massive rallies in their respective constituencies in Hooghly and Birbhum districts. “We celebrated Ram Navami in the past as well. This mass festival cannot be used for politics,” said Roy.
The participation of the Muslim community drew public attention in several districts. Muslim men served sweets and sherbet to Hindus in Howrah, Hooghly, Birbhum, South 24 Parganas, Darjeeling, Malda and Murshidabad districts. The last two districts have Bengal’s highest Muslim populations. The community members even sprinkled flower petals on the rallies at several locations.
“I wanted to share the joy of my Hindu brothers,” said Yasin Sheikh who was among some Muslim villagers who came to listen to the chanting of hymns from the Gita by 100 priests at Hooghly’s Arambag. TMC MP Mitali Bag attended the event.
In Birbhum, TMC leader Kajal Sheikh not only attended a puja at a Hanuman temple at Nanoor but also accepted a trident wrapped in saffron scarf. In South 24 Parganas district, TMC’s Canning East legislator Saokat Molla participated in a rally. “We must rise above politics and stand by each other,” said Molla.
The supporters of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) worshipped an idol of Ram at Kolkata’s Jadavpur University, where Left and Far-left parties have traditionally controlled student politics.
