The communal clash in Howrah broke out during a Ram Navami procession
Violent clashes during Ram Navami rallies in West Bengal have sparked a political slugfest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP, with both sides blaming each other for the incidents and sharing video footage to back their claims.
The heated exchange comes in the aftermath of communal clashes in Kolkata's adjoining areas Howrah and Hooghly during Ram Navami processions. A BJP MLA was among those injured in the violence. Currently, tension grips the areas and prohibitory orders are in place to avoid any untoward incident.
Accusing the BJP of engineering the communal violence in Howrah, Mr Banerjee on Friday released a video from a religious procession in which a young man was seen holding a firearm. Jai Shri Ram slogans can be heard in the background before an announcer stresses that the temple for Lord Ram will come up in Ayodhya.
"BJP's DANGABAJI FORMULA at work again: Provoke & instigate communities against each other. Supply weapons to incite violence. Create communal tension deliberately. Reap political benefits. A classic unholy blueprint right out of the @BJP4India playbook!," Mr Banerjee captioned the video post.
The BJP has now alleged that the video posted by Mr Banerjee, also Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew, is not from the Howrah rally that was organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
"VHP, the organisers of the Ramnavami Shobha Yatra in Howrah, release footage and allege that the video posted by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee is not from their Yatra. He is maligning Hindus and should be investigated for dividing people on religious lines. It is a criminal offence," the BJP's Bengal unit tweeted from its official handle.
The communal clash in Howrah broke out when a Ram Navami procession was crossing Kazipara locality. Several vehicles were set on fire and shops were ransacked before police could bring the situation under control.
Chief Minister Banerjee has said those behind the violence "will not be spared".
The BJP has launched an all-out attack against the ruling Trinamool, accusing the state government of orchestrating the violence and appeasing Muslims.
Addressing the media in Delhi this afternoon, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said Hindus are not safe in Bengal. This comes a day after Union Minister Smriti Irani accused the Mamata Banerjee government of shielding those who pelted stones. "The question is how long will Mamata keep attacking the Hindu community," she asked.
Meanwhile, Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar was stopped from visiting the area where the violence took place, with the police citing prohibitory orders to keep peace. Taking to Twitter, Mr Majumdar shared several pictures to claim that many of those seen in the Ram Navami rally are known to be close to Trinamool MP and local leader Kalyan Banerjee. "The presence of same faces is prompting questions of a conspiracy," he tweeted in Bengali.
NDTV cannot verify the authenticity of the videos.