Internet banned in Asansol until April 17

The West Burdwan management has suspended Internet inside the Asansol subdivision until the middle of the night to prevent rumors on social media in the wake of violence at Barakar on Monday. Police have carried out nightlong raids and arrested ten people over the conflict over a Ram Navami procession. On Tuesday, the district management prolonged till April 17, Section forty-four of the CrPC in Barakar to prevent illegal assembly and stopped all Ram Navami rallies within the region. “We have prolonged Section 144 of the CrPC at Barakar till April 17 and also suspended Internet services within the Asansol subdivision till April 17 night,” said Pinaki Ranjan Pradhan, the subdivisional officer of Asansol.

Paramilitary and Rapid Action Force employees had been deployed at Barakar on the Bengal-Jharkhand border.
“The situation is under control at Barakar now, and normalcy has been restored,” said L.N. Meena, the commissioner of Asansol-Durgapur police. On Monday night, the administration had appealed to the organizers of Ram Navami processions in Asansol town to cancel the events following the violence. But sources said all of them had refused to oblige. According to the resources, the organizers have been subsidized through the Sangh Parivar or Trinamul. “It is a religious event, and we can hold it peacefully. Police and the management must ensure protection so that we can hold rallies peacefully. Why must we cancel our programs?” asked Lakshman Ghorui, the West Burdwan district president of the BJP.

V. Sivadasan, the district Trinamul leader, said: “Lord Ram is for all and not the assets of the best the BJP. We will keep rallies like the remaining year, but will no longer permit the BJP to instigate violence. Our people are on alert.”Altogether, on Tuesday, 30 Ram Navami rallies have been held in Asansol amid heightened protection. Trinamul and the CPM have criticized a Facebook published by the Asansol MP and BJP candidate, Babul Supriyo. Babul’s publication featured a video of the Barakar clash. Jitendra Kumar Tiwari, the Asansol mayor and Trinamul MLA, said: “People recognize how secure they’re in Didi’s Bengal and what is occurring within the BJP-dominated UP and Jharkhand, in which people are being killed in the name of Gau Raksha.

We will resort a criticism with the Election Commission in opposition to Babul Supriyo’s submission on social media.” The CPM said the Facebook publication betrayed the “way of life of the BJP”. “In UP, the Election Commission had to impose an embargo on Yogi Adityanath for three days for making nonsecular remarks and the usage of religion for political gains at some stage in an election marketing campaign,” stated Bansagopal Chowdhury, a CPM country committee member, and former Asansol MP. I asked about Supriyo’s submission, and the SDO stated the administration might probe the matter.