The Mamata Banerjee government has put all districts on high alert to ensure that no violent incidents take place during Hanuman Jayanti on April 6 after reports came in that the BJP and some outfits like the Bajrang Dal are set to observe the day by taking out rallies.

“All police superintendents have been asked to keep vigil during Hanuman Jayanti in areas that are prone to violence. The instruction has been given keeping in mind the incidents that rocked Howrah and Rishra during Ram Navami rallies. Repeated violent incidents don’t send a good message about the state’s law and order,” said a senior bureaucrat.

The instruction came just before the Centre on Tuesday sought a detailed report from the state on the violence that took place on Ram Navami in Howrah last week.

Union home minister Amit Shah had on Friday spoken to Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose and taken stock of the prevailing law and order in Howrah, sources in the Union home ministry said.

"The ministry has sought a report from the Bengal government on the violence in Howrah. Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar had earlier written to Amit Shah apprising him of the law and order in the state," a home ministry official said.

Sources said the district police chiefs had been asked to give importance to intelligence inputs and carry out necessary actions in vulnerable areas. “Based on intelligence inputs, the police can make preventive arrests, conduct raids to seize illegal arms and set up police pickets to avoid any kind of violent incidents,” the state government official explained.

The entire administration has swung into action to avoid any kind of trouble during the Hanuman Jayanti after the chief minister herself suspected that there would be efforts to create disturbances in fresh areas on Thursday.

A section of officials said that SPs had been asked to keep vigil in their respective districts as the top brass of the administration felt there was a lacuna on the part of the police in dealing with the incidents in Rishra.

“There was a clash over the Ram Navami procession in Rishra on Sunday. After that, the police started dominating the area. Moreover, steps like the suspension of the Internet and Section 144 were taken. Despite all these, fresh incidents of violence last night suggest that there was a failure on part of the police,” said an official.

Another official pointed out that the lacuna on the part of the police was also noticed in Howrah after the violent incidents were reported at Kazipara.

“Similar problem had taken place in the same area in 2022. Despite having the experience, the police apparently did not make preventive arrests or carry out raids to recover illegal arms before the permission of the Ram Navami rally was given,” said the official.