West Bengal: BJP leads protest in Siliguri after two Charak Puja devotees attacked, blames TMC

Siliguri (West Bengal) [India], April 14 (ANI): BJP MLA from Siliguri, Shankar Ghosh, led a protest on Sunday against the alleged assault on two Hindu devotees during Charak Puja rituals at the Mahananda River.
Ghosh accused a Trinamool Congress government (TMC) member of being the main accused and criticised the state government for inaction.
Speaking to ANI, Ghosh said, "The main culprit of this incident is a member of TMC. That is why no order has been given yet to arrest him. If the arrest doesn't happen within two days, I will request the whole Charak Puja Committee to protest. Our Hindustan gave shelter to everyone in West Bengal. And the same West Bengal is attacking Hindus today. Despite our Chief Minister being a Hindu, she is staying silent on Hindus being attacked in West Bengal."
Earlier on Sunday, he alleged that the TMC government has created such an environment that it is a sin to be born as a Hindu in West Bengal.
"Yesterday, two boys from Ward 4 had gone to the Mahananda River to fulfil worship rituals of the Charak Puja. Five boys sitting next to the river threw a bottle at the two boys. When the two boys protested against it, they were beaten up badly. This proves that it is a sin to be born as a Hindu in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee's government has created such an environment here. In Samserganj, Das's family members were killed because their crime was that they were Hindus. Police vehicles are being torched. The BDO office is being vandalised," Ghosh said.
Charak Puja is observed on Chaitra Sankranti, the final day of the Bengali calendar year. It is a ritual dedicated to Lord Shiva, during which male devotees perform a traditional act of swinging from a pole with hooks fastened to their backs.
Meanwhile, Violence erupted recently in Murshidabad and Jangipur during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, with demonstrators clashing with police, pelting stones, and torching police vehicles.
According to West Bengal Police, three people were killed on Friday night in Murshidabad following the violent clashes linked to protests against the new Waqf law.
Following a Calcutta High Court order, the Border Security Force (BSF) has deployed five companies to support state police operations, IG South Bengal Frontier Karni Singh Shekhawat said on Saturday. (ANI)