Heightened vigil from Mothabari to Kharibari ahead of Ram Navami

BJP MLA Sreerupa Mitra Chowdhury has alleged possible militant threats to the Ram Navami processions and requested central forces, intensifying the political stakes

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

On the eve of Ram Navami, security has been stepped up across north Bengal, with police on high alert from Mothabari in Malda to Kharibari in Darjeeling district.

A series of precautionary measures have been rolled out to ensure peaceful celebrations amid a backdrop of recent communal tensions and political allegations.

Police across various districts and police stations have conducted meetings with major Ram Navami celebration committees, issuing guidelines on the routes of processions, banning DJ sound systems, restricting motorcycle rallies, and laying down additional protocols aimed at maintaining public order.

The heightened alert follows two recent incidents of communal unrest—one in Mothabari and surrounding areas just before Eid, and another in Siliguri's Singhia Jute area, the day after Eid. Though the police managed to bring both situations under control by arresting more than eight individuals, unease continues to simmer in sensitive pockets like Kharibari and Naxalbari in Darjeeling district.

As a preventive measure, police have restricted several routes in Kharibari and Naxalbari and have begun conducting route marches to assert control and deter any potential flare-ups.