Shyam Das, Asansol: Senior Congress leader from Asansol, Arup Mukherjee, who was arrested on charges of insulting the photos and posters of Bageshwar Dham's Peethadhishwar Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, finally got bail from the court and was released from the Asansol Special Correctional Home on Wednesday. As he stepped out after spending four consecutive days in judicial custody, boundless enthusiasm was witnessed among the party workers and supporters waiting in front of the main gate of the jail.
As soon as he came out of the jail, party workers adorned him with flower garlands and raised loud slogans in his support and against the state government. Top district Congress leaders including Shah Alam, Vishwanath Yadav, along with several local office-bearers and many workers, were present at this reception.
The controversy began during the recently concluded Durga Puja. Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, head of Bageshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh, gave an objectionable message asking people not to consume non-vegetarian food during the days of Durga Puja. Viewing this as an attack on the traditions of Bengali culture and dietary habits during Durga Puja, intense anger erupted among local Congress workers. In protest against this, Congress workers led by Arup Mukherjee staged a demonstration in Asansol and allegedly burnt photos and posters of Bageshwar Baba.
Centering around this incident, the political temperature in the Asansol industrial area began to rise. The BJP Yuva Morcha filed a written complaint at the Asansol South Police Station against the Congress leader, accusing him of hurting religious sentiments. Based on the filed FIR, the police of Asansol South Police Station acted swiftly and arrested 43-year-old Arup Mukherjee from his residence in Mohishila Colony.
After spending four long days in judicial custody, he was freed on Wednesday as the court granted him bail. Immediately upon stepping out of the correctional home, the Congress leader vented his anger against the state government and the police system while speaking to the media. He alleged, "Currently, nothing called democratic rights is left in West Bengal. False cases are being selectively framed to suppress the voice of the opposition. However, the legal battle and street protests will not stop."
Centering around this incident, intense speculation and high-tension political banter between the ruling party and the opposition have reached a peak in the political circles of the Asansol industrial belt.
