Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal on Sunday witnessed a vibrant mix of religious fervour and political mobilisation, with high-profile rallies and processions across the state. Leaders from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) took part in events that were conducted under heightened security due to concerns of potential unrest. The TMC accused the BJP of trying to consolidate Hindu votes through Ram Navami celebrations.
Ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA from Nandigram, Suvendu Adhikari, laid the foundation stone for a Ram temple at Sonachura village in the Purba Medinipur district. The site holds historical importance as it was the epicentre of the 2007 anti-land acquisition protests, where at least seven protesters were killed in firing by miscreants.
Amid chants of “Jai Shri Ram” (Victory to Lord Ram), Adhikari, clad in saffron, led a rally from Shahid Minar to the proposed temple site in Sonachura. “We are peace-loving people; we will never do anything that will tantamount to breaking the law,” he told reporters, as per news agency PTI. Adhikari said devotees were engaged in prayers and devotional songs, asserting that this has been the traditional way of celebrating Ram Navami for thousands of years. He dismissed the political hype around the occasion, stating, “There was no requirement to create the hype around the celebrations.” Emphasising Lord Ram as “a symbol of trust and faith for Hindus,” Adhikari added that a temple would soon come up at the location.
Today, I had the privilege of participating in the Foundation Laying Ceremony of the Ram Mandir at Sonachuda, Nandigram.
In accordance with Indian Sanatan culture and religious traditions, the auspicious ceremony of the groundbreaking and foundation stone laying of a grand… pic.twitter.com/DEojL6U1sJ
— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) April 6, 2025
Across West Bengal, around 2,500 rallies were scheduled, with more than 6,000 police personnel deployed to ensure peace. Celebrations began early Sunday, featuring saffron-clad devotees, religious chants, and processions with tableaux depicting scenes from the Ramayana.
In Howrah, BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar joined the ‘Anjani Putra Sena’ rally in Shibpur, while fellow party leader Saumitra Khan showcased his ‘Lathi Khela’ (stick drill) skills during a procession in Bankura. In Salkia, North Howrah, TMC councillor Gautam Chowdhury participated in a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)-organised rally.
BJP’s Locket Chatterjee Alleges Police Stopped Ram Navami Rally In Kolkata Suburb
Tensions flared in New Town near Kolkata, where BJP leader Locket Chatterjee led a procession that was halted by police near Keshtopur. Police had set up barricades near the VIP Road leading to Salt Lake. In a heated exchange, Chatterjee questioned the police’s move, saying, “This is not a political rally. It’s a spiritual congregation where people have participated spontaneously. How can the police stop this rally, which has the necessary permissions?”
She later bypassed the barricades and urged participants to take an alternate route. The rally, which began from a Ram temple in New Town, was scheduled to conclude at the Hanuman Mandir in Dum Dum, with BJP leader Arjun Singh joining the initial leg.
Elsewhere, TMC MLA Shaukat Molla joined a rally in Bhangar. At Jadavpur University, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) students defied university authorities to organise Ram Navami celebrations inside the campus. They set up a makeshift podium with a clay idol of Lord Ram and performed prayers.
In a heartening show of communal harmony, Muslims in Malda distributed sweets and water to participants of a Ram Navami rally and offered flowers to mark the occasion. In Cooch Behar, the VHP conducted a grand procession, while BJP leader Kartik Pal led a rally in Islampur, Raiganj, which had earlier been stalled by police barricades. The rally resumed after Pal staged a sit-in protest.
TMC, BJP Trade Barbs as Bengal Celebrates Ram Navami
With over 60 rallies planned in Kolkata alone, authorities deployed drones, CCTV surveillance, and quick response teams to monitor events from the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said, “The celebrations should be peaceful, and any attempts to disturb the processions will not be tolerated. Ram Navami will be celebrated across the state, no matter the efforts to stop it.” The BJP has claimed that more than 1.5 crore Hindus will participate in the celebrations, with over 2,000 rallies organised across West Bengal.
However, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of politicising the occasion. “They are trying to consolidate Hindu votes through these celebrations, which have now been politicised. They are trying to create disturbances,” he alleged.
#WATCH | Kolkata | TMC leader Kunal Ghosh takes part in the Ram Navami procession.#RamNavami pic.twitter.com/4Ev0Pxrb3z
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025
Participating in a Ram Navami procession in Kolkata, Ghosh remarked, “This is a festival of communal harmony. During Eid, Muslim brothers invited us and we participated in the Eid Milan. In today’s Shobha Yatra, Muslims have also participated. People’s beliefs can be different, but when we are coming on the streets to celebrate a festival, we have to be united. This is Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal Model. The entire country should see this…”
#WATCH | Kolkata: TMC leader Kunal Ghosh says “This is a festival of communal harmony. During Eid, Muslim bothers invite us and we participated in the Eid Milan. In today’s Shobha Yatra, Muslims have also participated. People’s beliefs can be different, but when we are coming on… https://t.co/WuzpO4Kxhu pic.twitter.com/ElbAlbOb0M
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025
Actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty mocked Ghosh’s remark, telling ANI, “Hindu-Muslims are walking together. Is this the model of Mamata Banerjee? You are really joking.”
#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: “…Hindu-Muslims are walking together, this is the model of Mamata Banerjee? You are really joking…” says actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty on the statement of TMC leader Kunal Ghosh https://t.co/3InDA5cC6y pic.twitter.com/fMn2ZS2IQH
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025
“Again and again, these people (TMC leaders) say that BJP spreads violence. There were more than 1 lakh people on the streets today, did you see violence anywhere? So tell me where does BJP spread violence,” he said.
#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: On Ram Navami 2025, actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty said, “Again and again, these people (TMC leaders) say that BJP spreads violence. There were more than 1 lakh people on the streets today, did you see violence anywhere? So tell me where… pic.twitter.com/kzkSebbKWf
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2025
Hindutva outfits such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), VHP, and Hindu Jagaran Manch also mobilised supporters. Reports indicate the RSS aims to engage over 3 crore participants across the state throughout the week-long celebrations, as per PTI.
According to police sources cited by PTI, intelligence reports had warned of potential disturbances. The state administration has taken several precautionary measures to prevent violence, particularly in view of past communal flare-ups.
This year’s Ram Navami comes against the backdrop of recent attacks on Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh and the upcoming state elections, turning what has traditionally been a religious observance into a political flashpoint between the BJP and TMC, with both accusing each other of exploiting religion for electoral gain.
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