Hanuman Jayanti: MHA asks states, UTs to ensure law and order

New Delhi: A day ahead of the Hanuman Jayanti festival, the Union home ministry on Wednesday asked all states to maintain law and order during the observance of the festival and monitor factors that could disturb "communal harmony in society". The Union home ministry's advisory to all states and Union territories came in the wake of communal violence in different parts of the country during Ram Navami last week.

"The MHA has issued an advisory to all states in preparation for Hanuman Jayanti. The governments are encouraged to ensure the maintenance of law and order, peaceful observance of the festival and monitoring of any factors that could disturb communal harmony in society," the home minister's office tweeted.

The advisory comes in the wake of recent violent clashes between the two groups on March 30 and April 1 during the Ram Navami festival in some parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand. Minor clashes were also reported in Karnataka.

In a late-evening development on Wednesday, the Union home ministry ordered the deployment of Central security forces in West Bengal to assist the state police during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations.

The home ministry spokesperson, in a tweet, said, "The Central Armed Police Forces deployed in West Bengal to assist state police in maintaining law and order during the observance of Hanuman Jayanti."

Clashes and instances of firebombing were reported from Hooghly and Howrah districts of West Bengal over Ram Navami processions. Several vehicles were torched and shops ransacked in Howrah. The violence erupted in West Bengal's Rishra on Sunday during a Ram Navami procession in which BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh and BJP MLA Biman Ghosh from Pursurah were present. The MLA was injured and hospitalised.

Parts of Serampore in Hooghly district also witnessed incidents of vandalism. Following the communal flare-up, prohibitory orders were imposed and Internet services were suspended.

The violence led West Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who had gone to Darjeeling in the northern part of the state for a G20 meeting, to visit some of the violence-hit areas after Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to him.

Later on Tuesday, the Union home ministry sought a detailed report on the communal violence from the West Bengal government.

Expressing concerns over the communal violence that erupted in Bihar, Mr Shah spoke to governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on April 2 and took stock of the situation.

In the aftermath of the communal violence that broke out in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif during Ram Navami festivities, the Union home ministry sent paramilitary forces to Bihar.

Mr Shah had to cancel his proposed tour of Sasaram on April 2 after prohibitory orders were put in place in the town