Hundreds of Ram Navami rallies, including some armed rallies, were taken out by the BJP and VHP in various parts of West Bengal Saturday, drawing sharp criticism from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The saffron outfits were seen waving swords and maces in some of the armed rallies. The police said they were looking into the matter as no permission was granted for armed rallies.
Apart from the BJP, right-wing Hindu outfits such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jagaran Manch also organised hundreds of rallies as they celebrated Ram Navami on a massive scale across the state.
The rallies were taken out in West Midnapore, Purulia, Jhargram, Bankura, Howrah, Kolkata and in North and South 24 Parganas districts, among others, officials said.