Sanjay Raut Calls Violence In Bihar, West Bengal 'BJP-Manufactured Conspiracy'

New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday termed the recent violence in Bihar and West Bengal a conspiracy by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said the riots are taking place where the saffron party is 'weak'. Speaking to media, the Rajya Sabha MP also hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who at a rally in Bihar on Sunday had vowed to 'hang upside down' the rioters if the BJP came to power in the state.

Sanjay Raut's statements came after violence broke out in Bihar's Sasaram and Bihar Sharif, and West Bengal's Hooghly and Howrah districts during Ram Navami processions.

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"This is a BJP-manufactured conspiracy. These riots are happening at places where BJP is weak and where it can lose in 2024," Raut said. 

"Union Home Minister had asserted that all the rioters will be hung upside down ('ulta latka denge') when his government comes to power in Bihar. Who are you waiting for when there is currently your government at the Centre," he added.

VIDEO | "This is a BJP-manufactured conspiracy. These riots are happening at places where BJP is weak and where it can lose in 2024," says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on incidents of violence in Bihar and West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/GkSGYbiFB2 — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 4, 2023

Mamata Banerjee fears violence on Hanuman Jayanti

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that there are plans afoot for another round of violence in the state on Thursday when the nation celebrates Hanuman Jayanti.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo also said that political workers carrying arms and bombs are deliberately taking out Ram Navami processions in minority areas even five days after the festival is over to incite violence.

Banerjee's comments came a day after clashes broke out between two groups of people during Ram Navami processions in Rishra and Serampore in the Hooghly district. These incidents followed another skirmish at Kazipara in Howrah on March 30, the day of the festival.

"I will entrust a responsibility to my Hindu brothers to see that minorities are not tortured on April 6 (Hanuman Jayanti)," she said while addressing a programme in Purba Medinipur district.

"Why will the processions continue for five days after Ram Navami? Do it on the day of the festival. We have never had objections. But they cannot do rallies with guns and bombs, or without necessary permissions from the police," Banerjee said.

The Bengal CM has been alleging that the BJP is behind the arson and clashes during Ramnavami proceedings.

"They are deliberately entering minority areas to incite violence and create tension," Banerjee claimed.

BJP slams CM Nitish Kumar for violence in Bihar

The BJP on Monday slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for communal violence in the state and said that he seems to have lost his will to govern and should 'stop dreaming about becoming prime minister and instead take care of the state'.

Former Bihar deputy CM and BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi hit out at the state's ruling alliance leaders for blaming the BJP and right-wing organisations for violence wondering why the government has then not then exposed such a conspiracy.

"If it is a BJP conspiracy, then why did you not expose it? Lakhs of people who participated in Ram Navami processions across the state are not BJP members but belong to the Hindu society. They can be from any party. For the first time in his over 17 years tenure as CM, Nitish Kumar has been unable to control such a situation even after so many days," he said.

He said the violence was reported from places that are "known sensitive areas" but still preventing measures were not taken.

(With agency inputs)