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Local, postal and express services had been suspended following the violence. Railway properties have been attacked and rail services affected after more violence broke out last night in Rishra, West Bengal, a day after clashes at a BJP procession in the area. Local, postal and express train services in the Howrah-Bandel section were suspended for about 3 hours due to stone throwing near a level crossing, said Kaushik Mitra, public relations director for Eastern Railway. Train traffic resumed after midnight. Several long-distance trains were delayed due to the violence, the railways said.
The riot force, which was deployed in Hooghly district following a wave of violence by Ram Navami, is now guarding the Rishra station area to prevent an escalation.
The districts of Hooghly and Howrah, near Kolkata, are in crisis after communal clashes broke out at the Ram Navami demonstrations.
Several vehicles were set on fire on Thursday after two groups clashed in Howrah. Public property was vandalized and police had to use tear gas canisters to control the situation.
A new wave of violence broke out in Hooghly on Sunday. Among the injured was BJP MP Biman Ghosh.
Violent clashes led the Trinamool Congress government to suspend internet services and implement restraining orders.
The violent clashes sparked a political dispute between the ruling Trinamool and the BJP.
Accusing the BJP of organizing community violence in Howrah, Trinamool General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee posted a video of a religious procession showing a young man brandishing a gun.
BJP's DANGABAJI FORMULA is back at work: 🧨 Provoke and incite communities to each other. 💣 Provide weapons to incite violence. ⚔️ Deliberately creating tensions in the community. pic.twitter.com/HKZ0BmIlCm
"The BJP's DANGABAJI FORMULA works again: Provoking and inciting communities against each other. Providing weapons to incite violence. Deliberately creating communal tension. Reaping political benefits. A classic godless scheme straight out of the @BJP4India playbook! Banerjee captioned the video post. .
The BJP has now alleged that the video posted by Mr. Banerjee, also a nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was not of the Howrah rally organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
VHP, the organizers of the Ramnavami Shobha Yatra in Howrah, post footage and claim that the video posted by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee is not of his Yatra. He slanders Hindus and should be investigated for dividing people on religious grounds. It is a criminal offence. https://t.co/sNfWxZF9oEpic.twitter.com/v8YCNzi7QU
"VHP, the organizers of the Ramnavami Shobha Yatra in Howrah, post footage and claim that the video posted by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee is not of his Yatra. It slanders Hindus and should be investigated by people allegedly divided on religious grounds. It is a criminal offence,” the BJP Bengal Unit tweeted from its official account.
