A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday recommended the state government to consider stationing central military personnel in the area till complete normality has been restored in response to the violence in Rishra in West Bengal’s Hooghly district.
Rishra had violent outbursts that lasted into Monday night.
The government attorney has been asked to return with the state’s position on the case when the hearing resumes after lunch, according to a directive from the bench, which is made up of Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya and Acting Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam.
Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, has brought a PIL against several acts of violence that occurred during Ram Navami processions in the districts of Howrah, North Dinajpur, and Hooghly.
While everything has returned to normal in Howrah and North Dinajpur, anxiety still exists in Rishra where a sizable police presence is always on patrol.
Moreover, Section 144 is still in effect in Rishra, and internet access is still prohibited.
The state government has requested help from federal authorities on a number of occasions in the past, and Judge Sivagnanam noted that it may do so again in this case.
He said that in this instance, police officers from one region had to be sent to another district to take charge of the issue.
The court also ordered the state government to take all necessary precautions to prevent a repeat of the violence on Thursday in honour of Hanuman Jayanti.
Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister, has also issued a warning against potential efforts to incite conflict and violence among communities.
