In the city of Kolkata, the administration led by Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress has officially proclaimed April 17th as a public day off in honor of Ram Navami. This marks the initial instance where the state government, in power since 2011, has acknowledged Ram Navami with a public holiday. As per an official notification disseminated by the state, all governmental offices, their affiliated entities, and enterprises, with the exception of indispensable services, will be shuttered on the aforementioned date.
Over the preceding couple of years, West Bengal has witnessed sporadic bouts of turmoil linked to Ram Navami processions. In the bygone year, unrest unfolded at a minimum of three locations during these processions, prompting an ongoing investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) following a directive from the Calcutta High Court.
Suvendu Adhikari, the opposition leader in the West Bengal Assembly, contends that this decision stems from his critique of the Chief Minister’s failure to declare Ram Navami as a holiday. Amit Malviya, the BJP’s IT cell chief and the party’s central observer for West Bengal, asserts that Chief Minister Banerjee, who previously exhibited visible displeasure at the utterance of ‘Jai Shree Ram’, has belatedly accorded Ram Navami the status of a public holiday in a bid to amend her perceived anti-Hindu image.
Malviya articulated, “Her motivation is to rectify her anti-Hindu stance, albeit a tad too tardy… Crucially, she must ensure the prevention of stone-throwing incidents during the Ram Navami processions,” conveyed through a message posted on X.