Cops prevent distribution of ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ at Kolkata Book Fair
Kolkata, Feb 11: Kolkata Police Sunday stopped some Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) workers from circulating and distributing ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ at the Kolkata Book Fair saying that they felt that this could lead to tension among the visitors leading to a law and order problem.
According to reports, the cops prevented some VHP workers from distributing the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ among the visitors at 44th International Book Fair at Kolkata. This, the cops said, was done to prevent any possible tension and clash. Sunday was the last day of the book fair.
After some argument, the cops gave in and allowed the VHP activists to distribute the book.
“There was tension initially. But when we wanted to know why the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ cannot be distributed if other organizations can distribute the ‘Quran’ and the ‘Bible’, the police relented and we continued with the distribution,” VHP member Swarup Chatterjee told PTI.
A police officer said the VHP men also had a brief altercation with some ultra-left student activists before the Parishad’s stall.
A group of students also took out a rally on the fairground holding placards against the CAA and shouting slogans against the BJP and Saturday’s detention of five protesters.
The police stopped the procession.
Anti-CAA protesters and BJP and VHP activists were involved in a scuffle when senior party leader Rahul Sinha entered a stall on Saturday. Five anti-CAA protesters were then detained.
Publishers and Booksellers’ Guild, organizers of the book fair, said the two incidents did not disrupt the event.
President of the Guild, Tridib Chatterjee, later told reporters that voicing dissent against others’ views on the open ground of the book fair when lakhs of people are around is unfortunate.
“Kolkata Book Fair is a place where a hundred flowers bloom and different organizations can profess their ideologies without promoting hatred and bigotry,” Chatterjee said.