JAMSHEDPUR: Several Ram Navami Akhara Samitis in the Steel City staged a dharna at Sakchi on Tuesday to protest the state government’s delay in lifting the ban on religious processions, citing Covid-19 protocols.
The samitis mobilized a charged crowd and the participants raised the slogan, ‘Jai Shri Ram’, during the two-hour sit-in at the Thakur Pyare Singh Dhurandhar Singh ground in Kasidih of Sakchi.
On February 26, the state disaster management authority (SDMA) under chief minister Hemant Soren and disaster management minister Banna Gupta (who is also the local MLA) eased most of the Covid restrictions in the state but kept the ban on organising religious, cultural and political processions until further orders. BJP functionary Abhay Singh, who was instrumental in organising the dharna, accused the government of practising double standards over the issue. “On one hand, the administration is allowing the health minister to hold a congregation for Congress workers but on the other, the Akhara Samitis are not allowed to take out the processions,” Singh said.
He added, “If the government does not permit processions soon, then the ‘Ram Bhakts’ would launch ‘Jail Bharo’ movement soon.”
Meanwhile, the local unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Tuesday said it will take out a procession from the Cable Welfare Ground in Golmuri to Subhash Maidan in Sakchi on April 1 in defiance of the government order to commemorate the Chaitra Shukla Pratiada (Hindu New Year). The VHP also announced to organize Shri Ram Mahotsav across 13 police station areas between April 2 and April 11.
Similarly, Hindu Utsav Samiti, Hindu Navjaran Samiti and Bajrang Dal among others are preparing for grand celebrations of Hindu New Year.
