CM Mamata urges peace on Ram Navami as Bengal deploys 29 IPS officers, 3,000 cops in Kolkata

On the occasion of Ram Navami, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended greetings to all citizens and urged for peaceful celebrations. In her statement, she said, “Heartfelt greetings to everyone on the occasion of Ram Navami. I request everyone to uphold the values of peace, prosperity, and development for all. My wish is that the celebration of Ram Navami concludes successfully and peacefully.”

In view of incidents of violence during Ram Navami processions in recent years, the West Bengal government has intensified security arrangements across the state. A total of 29 senior IPS officers have been deployed to monitor ten priority zones that include both district police areas and commissionerates — Howrah, Barrackpore, Chandannagar, Malda, Islampur, Asansol-Durgapur, Siliguri, Howrah Rural, Murshidabad, and Cooch Behar.

Approximately 3,000 police personnel have been deployed across Kolkata. The state police have put in place a layered security plan that includes drone surveillance, quick response teams, heavy radio flying squads, PCR vans, and additional forces in sensitive areas. CCTV cameras have been installed at key locations, and officers in plain clothes have been stationed on rooftops to monitor public movement.

Police escort teams with body cameras will accompany smaller religious processions. Each procession route has been assigned to senior officers for direct monitoring and immediate response in case of any incident. A senior police official stated that strict monitoring will be in place and added that the government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against attempts to disturb law and order.

As a precaution, movement of goods trucks has been restricted in Kolkata from 12 pm to 12 am on April 6. Only vehicles carrying emergency or perishable items such as medicines, oxygen, fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, LPG cylinders, and petroleum products are exempted. Additionally, the state’s Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Jawed Shamim, issued orders barring police personnel from taking leave until April 9 to ensure maximum deployment across the state.