West Bengal: Police arrest 12 for attacking sadhus; deny communal angle
The Trinamool Congress said the attack was being probed and the truth would soon be revealed
The West Bengal police have arrested 12 people in Purulia for attacking a group of sadhus after videos of the incident went viral. Media reports say that the sadhus, who were on their way to Gangasagar on January 12, asked some women for directions. Seeing the sadhus covered only in ash, the women panicked and called for help, upon which a mob attacked the sadhus.
The police rushed to the spot and rescued the sadhus. They then arranged for the holy men to proceed to Gangasagar, a pilgrimage site in Bengal. The police denied that there was any communal angle in the incident. They said that the sadhus were asked several times if they wanted to lodge a complaint, but they refused.
The BJP alleged law and order had broken down in the state, and targeted the ruling Trinamool Congress. Several BJP leaders slammed the West Bengal government on social media. The Trinamool Congress said the attack was being probed and the truth would soon be revealed. The party said the incident should not have happened, and that the police would find out why it occurred.
