Leader of opposition in West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Friday filed a public interest litigation (PIL) at the Calcutta High Court in connection with the incidents of violence and alleged attack on Ram Navami processions at Howrah and Dalkhola, even as political fight between Trinamool and BJP went unabated.

In his petition, Adhikari has sought investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the Howrah incident and demanded immediate deployment of central forces in the troubled areas of Howrah.

“I have filed a public interest litigation today in the hon’ble high court at Calcutta pertaining to the incidents of violence & attack on the Ram Navami processions at Howrah & Dalkhola.(Please add the full quote. It is related to court) I have prayed for an NIA probe and immediate deployment of central forces in such areas for containing the situation and restoration of the law and order as well as for saving innocent lives. The hon’ble acting chief justice has been pleased to grant leave to file the PIL and directed the same to appear on Monday at the top of the list,” Adhikari said. “There was a deliberate attempt by Trinamool goons in Ram Navami to divert attention from the existing corruption. Police took the role of silent spectator.”

Leaders of the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress, however, claimed that there was a deliberate attempt to divide the Hindus and Muslims in the state.

The party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee released some videos of purported Ramnavami celebrations in Howrah. In some of these videos, gun-wielding persons can be seen dancing on loud music. In another video, ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans can be heard as some people vandalised shops and set carts and vehicles of fruit vendors on fire.

“Criminals have no religion. Those who have been seen in the videos will be arrested. All those criminals associated with the incidents will be punished,” Banerjee said, adding “violence never occurred in 2011 to 2014, the initial years of Trinamool rule, but started after BJP began winning a few seats in Bengal.”

“There was violence in various states, including Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand and some other states on the occasion of Ramnavami,” Banerje said. Banerjee said one should understand the chronology of events, “On 27th March LoP Suvendu Adhikari goes to Delhi, 29th March BJP asks people to keep eyes on Ramnavami processions, on March 30 Howrah violence takes place. It has happened at the behest of their bosses in Delhi”. Meanwhile, Union home minister Amit Shah reportedly telephoned BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, seeking details of the situation in the state. Majumdar also wrote to Shah, demanding an impartial probe by organisations such as the NIA into the incidents.

On Friday, Adhikari went to BJP’s office in Howrah, and then to a hospital where injured BJP workers were being treated. He then went to meet Howrah police commissioner Praveen Tripathi, who was on the incident spot. Adhikari submitted a CD with all the events at the commissioner’s office.