Ram Navami processions turn violent in several parts of India, security beefed up

New Delhi: Processions held in connection with the Hindu festival of Ram Navami turned violent in many places across the country, as a result of brandishing weapons like swords and machetes as well as the raising of incendiary slogans targeting a particular community.

At least ten people were reported to have been injured in the violence that broke out between two communities in West Bengal's Howrah district on Thursday. Several vehicles were set on fire, and shops were ransacked in the area during the clash that occurred during the Ram Navami procession.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that culprits won’t be spared and the law will take its course. She said that the procession took an unauthorised route to particularly target and attack one community and accused the BJP of hiring goons from outside the state to orchestrate communal riots.

"Nobody has stopped their processions, but they do not have the right to march with swords and bulldozers. How did they get the audacity to do this in Howrah?" she said.

“I have repeatedly said that no Ram Navami procession will be blocked. I had given clear instructions to the police in this regard. While one community is celebrating Annapurna Puja, the other is observing fast during Ramzan,” she said while concluding her 30-hour extended sit-in in a protest in Kolkata, as quoted by PTI.

On Thursday night during a Rama Navami 'Shobha Yatra' in Malvani, Mumbai, two groups clashed, leading to tension in the area. One person was injured in the violence, and the police have arrested over 20 individuals in connection with the incident.

According to the police, some of the participants engaged in stone pelting, causing panic among the people. Although the situation was tense for a while, it is now under control. Police have registered cases against more than 300 unidentified individuals.

On Wednesday, violence broke out in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, resulting in the attack of the police and the setting of their vehicles on fire. The police claim that an argument between young men from both communities escalated into a violent clash.

At least 12 people, including 10 policemen, were injured after a mob of around 500 people went berserk and hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles when the personnel tried to control the situation following a clash between two groups near a Ram temple, officials said on Thursday.

During Ram Navami processions in Vadodara city, Gujarat, stones were thrown at two separate events resulting in injuries to several individuals. The first incident occurred near Panjrigar mohalla in the Fatehpura area in the afternoon, and the second took place in the nearby Kumbharwada in the evening.

The police have detained 24 people for throwing stones in Fatehpura, where one man sustained injuries. In Kumbharwada, some individuals, including women, were also injured during the attack. Local BJP MLA Manisha Vakil was present during the procession that was targeted in Kumbharwada.

In Karnataka's Hassan district, two communities fought during the Ram Navami procession, resulting in the stabbing of two individuals. However, the situation has now been brought under control and is reported to be peaceful.

Despite a police order, many individuals took out a procession in Delhi's Jahangirpuri, which had witnessed riots during last year's Hanuman Jayanti celebrations. Ram Navami is a Hindu festival celebrated to honour the birth of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.