VHP's warning shot amid grand plan for Ram Navami celebrations in Bengal: 'Will retaliate if attacked'

West Bengal has witnessed multiple communal flashpoints around Ram Navami processions in recent years. (Representative Image: PTI)

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has warned of retaliation against any political attempts to launch attacks at them during Ram Navami celebrations. The VHP and Bajrang Dal have laid own elaborate plans for the festivities that will begin with the Ram Navami on April 6 and continue till Hanuman Jayanti on April 12.

The VHP has planned around 3,000 processions, 200 tableaus and Sree Ram Mahostavs at 5,000 locations for Ram Navami in West Bengal. Incidents of violence against Hindus in adjoining Bangladesh and the 2026 assembly elections in West Bengal have turned Ram Navami celebrations into a focal point of the BJP's campaign against the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state.

VHP raises security concerns

"In the past years, we have seen our rallies attacked, and stones were pelted. Though talks are on with the police, we believe they will not be able to give us adequate security. It is upon us. We will retaliate if attacked during our celebrations," Chandranath Das, VHP South Bengal secretary, said, claiming that it was concerned about the security situation in the state.

Das said that the VHP has sent letters to police detailing their plans for these rallies and the routes they will take over the past two months and has also had meetings with the police.

"We have made our own security arrangements. I must say, if we are attacked, we have the right to defend ourselves," he said.

Das cited the recent communal clash in Mothabari last Thursday, leading to the suspension of internet services and the arrest of 34 people.

"Look at what happened in Mothabari. The preparatory rally for Ram Navami had passed the area when a section of people targeted shops and vehicles," Das said.

Police had said that last Wednesday, a preparatory rally for Ram Navami passed a local mosque. A section of people alleged that fire crackers were thrown near the mosque before the clash broke out the next day.

VHP's mega plans for Ram Navami in Bengal

Hindutva groups, including the VHP and the RSS, have set a target of mobilising over three crore people and taking out rallies in every block in West Bengal during the week-long celebrations starting on April 6.

According to BJP leaders, these processions will serve as a symbolic protest against the alleged attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and what they described as the TMC's "appeasement politics."

"This year's Ram Navami has given people an opportunity to express their anger and voice their protests. The celebrations will act as a stepping stone for Hindu unity ahead of next year's elections. The more the Hindu community is attacked, the stronger its response will be," Das said.

The VHP has planned around 3,000 processions, 200 tableaus and Sree Ram Mahostavs at 5,000 locations for Ram Navami in West Bengal. According to VHP sources, at least 100 processions are expected to see crowds exceeding 35,000 participants each, with several anticipated to surpass 50,000 attendees.

Bid to consolidate Hindu votes

BJP leaders see these rallies as a strategic move to consolidate Hindu votes in key districts where the party aims to improve its performance compared to the 2021 assembly polls. Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari recently claimed that 50 lakh Hindus participated in last year's Ram Navami celebrations and the turnout was expected to cross one crore this year.

"In 2026, a Hindu government will be formed in West Bengal," Adhikari said.

Bengal has witnessed multiple communal flashpoints around Ram Navami processions in recent years. In 2018, large-scale violence erupted in Asansol, leaving several people dead. Similar tensions were seen in 2019, 2022, and 2023 when clashes broke out in districts such as Murshidabad, Howrah, and Malda.

The violence against Hindus in Bangladesh has added a new dimension to the Ram Navami mobilisation and become a key issue in West Bengal's politics, with the BJP staging statewide protests against the atrocities and accusing the TMC of overlooking the suffering of persecuted Hindus there.