Dozens protest against ban on roadside namaz, police intervene

Kolkata: Days after the newly sworn-in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government prohibited roadside namaz and restricted loudspeaker volumes, members of the Muslim community staged a major protest in West Bengal’s Kolkata following Friday prayers on May 15.

Viral social media videos show police engaged in a scuffle while trying to halt a namaz congregation on the road during the protests.

The protest initially started peacefully in the Rajabazar area with demonstrators marching on the streets. However, the situation turned tense when they insisted on offering prayers on the streets, which is now banned under the new directions given to senior police officers.

This resulted in intense unrest within the area, prompting the deployment of a large police force as tensions continued to mount.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had communicated several instructions to IPS officers during his first meeting on May 12. The CM, in a move loaded with symbolism, also made the singing of “Vande Mataram” mandatory in morning assemblies across all state-run and state-aided schools with immediate effect.

The order comes against the backdrop of an increasingly assertive emphasis on national symbols in public discourse and follows recent moves by the Centre to strengthen legal provisions concerning respect for national emblems and songs.