Hooghly: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Locket Chatterjee was stopped from participating in the Hanuman Jayanti Shobha Yatra by police in Hooghly on Thursday.
“I told them to allow me to offer prayers but they (police) said that I am an outsider. I am not an outsider, I am an MP from here. I represent Hooghly. How can I be an outsider? I called the Superintendent of Police and District Magistrate but they did not pick up the call. I spoke to the Governor,” Chatterjee told reporters here. Chatterjee, an MP from Hooghly parliamentary constituency was intercepted at Boropara More in the district.
#CORRECTION | Hooghly, WB: I told them to allow me to offer prayers but they (police) said that I am an outsider. I am not an outsider, I am an MP from here: BJP MP Locket Chatterjee on being stopped from participating in the Shobha Yatra of *Hanuman Jayanti
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2023
This comes after stone-pelting was reported in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Monday evening, forcing railways to suspend all local and mail express train services operating to and from Rishra Railway Station.
According to Eastern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer, Kaushik Miron, an incident of stone pelting occurred at Rishra Railway Station.
“For the security of common people, all local and mail express train services have been suspended on Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line,” he said.
The incident comes a day after clashes erupted during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Shobha yatra in Hooghly on Sunday. The state government later issued prohibitory orders and also suspended internet services across the district.
Notably, violent incidents were witnessed in West Bengal’s Howrah during the Ram Navami procession.
Last week, several vehicles were set on fire after two groups clashed in Howrah amid Ram Navami celebrations. During the procession, the rioters vandalized public and private properties and set vehicles on fire.
Following the violence in Howrah, the West Bengal government on March 31 handed over the probe to Criminal Investigation Department (CID). A special team led by Inspector General of Police, CID Sunil Choudhury has initiated the investigation.
