‘One has to take up arms to protect religion’: BJP’s Sajal Ghosh backs armed Ram Navami rally in Howrah

BJP leader Sajal Ghosh has backed an armed Ram Navami rally held on Saturday in Howrah’s Sankrail, despite the Calcutta High Court’s clear directive prohibiting the brandishing of weapons during religious processions. Ghosh participated in another rally on Sunday morning from Kadamtala to the Ram temple in Ramrajatala, where he said, “Sometimes one has to take up arms to protect religion.” He also targeted the Trinamool Congress, saying, “Who called Hinduism a filthy religion on Eid? They have no right to speak about Hindutva.”

According to Howrah police sources, the rally on Saturday in Sankrail was conducted without permission, and legal action may be taken against the organisers for violating the court’s order. The Calcutta High Court on Friday had allowed a Hindu organisation, Anjani Putra Sena, to hold a procession on Sunday, but explicitly barred the display of arms due to security concerns. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Surinder Singh, confirmed that the incident is under review and necessary steps are being considered.

In response to the Ram Navami celebrations and in view of past incidents of violence, West Bengal has heightened security measures across the state. A total of 29 senior police officers have been deployed to monitor 10 sensitive regions, including Howrah, Asansol-Durgapur, Siliguri, Malda, and Murshidabad. In Kolkata, around 5,000 police personnel have been assigned, with officers instructed to remain on high alert. Surveillance has been increased with CCTV installations, drone monitoring, and loudspeaker announcements. The Governor has activated a 24x7 peace room and a mobile rapid action team to respond to any disturbances.