Kolkata: Congress netas and activists, including Atanu Das (in green T-shirt), stage a protest outside Bhowanipore Police Station against Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri for his alleged remarks against the sentiment of Bengal for the upcoming Durga Puja festival, in Kolkata, West Bengal, Tuesday
The charges relate to an incident on Sept 8 at around 12.15 pm, when supporters and followers of the Indian National Congress staged a demonstration outside Bhowanipore PS on SP Mukherjee Road.
Demonstrators burnt, trampled upon, and struck posters of Bageshwar Baba with footwear while hurling derogatory remarks, according to police records. Investigators said the deliberate acts insulted the religious sentiments of a community and carried the potential to incite social disharmony and disrupt public peace. At the Alipore court, police court public prosecutor Sourin Ghosal claimed that the “act of a few has brought a bad name for Bengal as the actions hurt the sentiments of thousands of Shastri’s followers across the country”.
Kolkata : Hours after CM Suvendu Adhikari asked Kolkata Police commissioner to nab the perpetrators, the city police have arrested a Bengal Pradesh Congress committee general secretary in connection with a demonstration outside Bhowanipore PS where posters bearing a photograph of Bageshwar Dham chief priest Dhirendra Krishna Shastri were allegedly kicked and then burnt. The agitation was led by prominent office-bearers, including South Kolkata district Congress committee president Pradip Prasad, Bengal Pradesh Congress committee general secretary Asutosh Chatterjee, and Das, alongside several others. Following Das’s arrest, Kolkata Police stated that the probe was on as they continued to locate and apprehend the other FIR-named accused and participants involved in the incident. “We need to know their motive…There are followers of Dhirendra Shastri across India. What message does this send to them? Have you seen such conduct in any other state? The state’s dignity has been dragged through the mud,” claimed Ghosal. “Let the video show who else was involved in the incident. Identify them from that and arrest them. Why is there any need to keep my client in custody for that?” asked one of the defence lawyers.