"TMC govt is doing politics on caste and religion": BJP leader Locket Chatterjee on Birbhum clash

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 17 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Locket Chatterjee hit out at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over clash in Birbhum during Holi celebrations and held the West Bengal government responsible for the violence.
"Trinamool government is doing politics on caste and religion... It is the responsibility of Mamata Banerjee. She should fix the situation. Banning the internet will not solve this... She (Mamata Banerjee) says that there should be no politics on religion but then why is appeasement being promoted?" Locket Chatterjee told ANI on Sunday.
Meanwhile, internet and voice-over-Internet telephony services have been suspended in at least five Gram Panchayat areas of Sainthia town in West Bengal's Birbhum district to prevent the spread of rumours and unlawful activities.
The shutdown is in effect from March 14 (Friday) to March 17 (Monday).
The prohibitory order, issued by the Principal Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, Government of West Bengal on March 14, suspending internet and call services, cited concerns over the potential spreading of "rumours for unlawful activities."
Police have been deployed in the affected areas following reports of a stone-pelting incident in Birbhum.
"Any data related message or class of message to or from any person or class of persons, to or from any telecommunication equipment or class of telecommunication equipment, or relating to any particular subject, brought for transmission by, or transmitted or received by any telecommunication service or telecommunication network under the ambit of Telecommunications Act, 2023, shall temporarily not be transmitted in the interest of maintaining public order and preventing incitement to the commission of any offence," read the order.
The order further states that no restriction is being placed on voice calls or SMS. Similarly, no restrictions on newspapers have been placed, adding "hence communication and dissemination of knowledge and information is not stopped in any way."
The restrictions apply to Sainthia, Hatora Gram Panchayat (GP), Mathpalsa GP, Harisara GP, Dariyapur GP, and Fulur GP. (ANI)