Mamata Banerjee bans immersions on Muharram, warns RSS, VHP 'not to play with fire'
Mamata Banerjee
The West Bengal chief minister said the move was aimed at averting communal tensions that could be possibly instigated by right-wing extremist groups
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has warned the right-wing RSS, Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) not to disturb peace during the upcoming Durga Puja festival, and asked them "not to play with fire".
The Trinamool Congress chief has also directed that there will be no immersions on the Muslim festival of Muharram which falls on October 1, a day after the Durga Puja festival concludes.
Mamata Banerjee said the move was aimed at averting communal tensions that could be possibly instigated by right-wing extremist groups.
"No violence will be tolerated during Durga Puja. No idol immersion on Muharram. Politics shouldn't be done in name of festivals," Mamata Banerjee said.
"No immersion on Muharram. We will not let anyone do any rally with arms," the West Bengal chief minister said.
"If RSS, VHP, Hindu Samhati are trying to create communal tension. We will combat any attempt to give rise to riots. We are not scared of the Enforcement Directorate or the CBI who try to summon us," at a press conference.
The West Bengal chief minister's statement comes a day after the VHP said they intend to carry out shastra puja (worship ofweapons)in at least 300 places across West Bengal on Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra), which falls on September 30.
Mamata Banerjee's directive on immersions comes before the Calcutta High Court judgement on her immersion order.
In August, the West Bengal chief minister had said that Durga idol immersion would be allowed only till 6 pm on September 30 and would resume on October 2 after Muharram. She was accused of minority appeasement by political parties and on social media.
On September 15, the West Bengal government told the Calcutta High Court that immersion will be allowed till 10 pm on Vijaya Dashami on September 30. The state's Advocate General Kishore Dutta said a notification has been issued which allowed the immersion of idols till 10 pm on September 30. He said immersion would again be allowed on October 2.
The court was hearing a plea which wanted that the immersion be allowed till 1.36 am on October 1 in accordance with the Hindu calendar.