"Mamata Banerjee should not try to intimidate Hindus...": VHP

VHP Spokesperson Vinod Bansal said that the whole country knows who carried out the violence during the Ram Navami in 2023.

"The TMC chief should not try to intimidate Hindu society by talking about riots on Ram Navami. The country knows who carried out the violence on last Ram Navami. When the state machinery sided with the attackers, the High Court handed over the investigation of the deadly attacks on Hindus to the NIA..." Bansal posted on X.

"Remember that even before the last year attack on unarmed Ram devotees, Mamata Banerjee had advised Hindus not to go to Muslim areas on the occasion of Ram Navami using the excuse of Ramzan..." he added.

Ram Navmi is a festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ram. It will be celebrated on April 17 this year.

Earlier while cautioning the people in the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party will "incite riots" in the state on April 17 ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a public meeting, Mamata Banerjee said, "Hold rallies and meetings but do not riot. It is they (BJP) who will riot. Voting is on April 19 and they will riot on April 17. Lord Ram does not tell you to riot but these people will riot and by rioting, they will get the NIA to enter the state."

Polling for the Lok Sabha in Bengal will take place across all 7 phases, starting April 19. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC won 34 seats in the state, while the BJP had to settle for 2 seats. The CPI (M) won 2 seats, while the Congress bagged 4. However, the BJP came up with a much-improved showing in the 2019 polls, winning 18 seats against the TMC's 22. The Congress's tally dropped to just 2 seats, while the Left scored a blank. (ANI)