A mob allegedly belonging to the Hindutva community turned violent on Friday during a Ram Navami rally in Murshidabad’s Jangipur locality, leading to the ransacking of around 40 shops and setting fire to several others on Friday afternoon, resulting in a fresh wave of communal tension in the region ahead of the Assembly polls. As per the sources, the tension spiraled when a Ram Navami procession, along with loud music and dance, passed a mosque while Friday prayers were underway.
Heated arguments were exchanged when the objections were raised by those offering the prayers, leading to the mob climbing onto the rooftops of Muslim houses and hoisting saffron flags, vandalizing shops, and thrashing residents.
The situation flared and resulted in such tension that the police were forced to pound and lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Heavy police and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been deployed to control the situation.
“The situation is under control now. We have arrested and detained many people. Don’t worry. Let us conduct an assessment first; we will provide further details following that,” said Murshidabad Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ajeet Singh Yadav.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Jangipur president Subal Chandra Ghosh said that the incident was “the other side.”
“Every year we organize a Ram Navami procession, which starts from Mackenzie Park and moves around the town, with participation from various Hindu organizations. This time, a group tried to stop the procession and blocked it at several points, which created tension. Our boys also pelted bricks in protest, and people from both sides were injured,” he said as quoted by the Telegraph online.
“An unpleasant incident took place in Raghunathganj Bazar this afternoon. Police immediately reached the spot and dispersed the mob after resorting to a lathicharge. An investigation has been initiated with the involvement of both police and central forces. So far, no one has been arrested or detained. Search operations are Underway.” Superintendent of police, Jangipur Police District, Surinder Singh said, as the Telegraph online reported.
Meanwhile, Jangipur MLA and Trinamool Congress candidate Zakir Hossain said, “The BJP has deliberately caused this incident before the elections. The party is facing internal factionalism in Jangipur and is trying to consolidate Hindu votes by creating communal unrest. Without understanding the consequences, they have triggered violence. I demand that the accused be arrested. immediately.”
It is also imperative to note that the assembly elections are set to be held in West Bengal, and the polling will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, and the counting will be done on May 4. Murshidabad has seen recurring tensions, with the latest incident coming nearly a year after large-scale violence broke out in April 2025 during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, when stone pelting was also reported.
