NEW DELHI:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
on Tuesday hit out at the Trinamool Congress (
TMC
) government in West Bengal, accusing it of "hatching conspiracies" and trying "its best to stop the
Ram Navami celebrations
".
Addressing a public rally in Balurghat, PM Modi lashed out at CM Mamata Banerjee-led state government that had moved the
Calcutta high court
seeking its direction to prohibit the proposed
Vishva Hindu Parishad
’s Ram Navami rally in Howrah.
"This is the first Ram Navami when Ram Lalla has been enthroned in the grand temple in Ayodhya. I know TMC, as always, tried its best to stop the Ram Navami celebrations here, and hatched several conspiracies. But only truth wins. Therefore, permission has been granted by the court and tomorrow Ram Navami processions will be taken out with full reverence and devotion. I congratulate all my brothers and sisters of Bengal on this occasion," the Prime Minister said.
In the high court, the state counsel had submitted that the police granted permission to 17 such processions only in Howrah and that the state didn't have the wherewithal to manage the VHP rally.
The VHP counsel submitted to the court that an organization — Anjani Putra Sena — had participated in the Ram Navami procession at Howrah last year.
"They are not participating in the rally this time. Instead, they propose to take out a separate rally on Sunday," the VHP counsel said.
Justice Jay Sengupta, while taking note of the VHP prayer that this time it would organise the rally with 200 participants, observed: "Each individual has the right to participate in programmes according to his view or religious belief. No one can stand in the way of it. I have nothing to say if the police can’t handle a rally with 200 participants. I am giving directions for the deployment of central forces in that case."
Justice Sengupta also set aside the state's prayer to direct the VHP to decrease the number of participants in the rally or change the route of the rally.
PM Modi also reiterated his "400 paar" poll plank, saying "Today this gathering of people in Balurghat, shows that this time victory will be of development. Today the whole state is saying 4 June 400 paar".
(With ANI inputs)
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