West Bengal police have arrested 12 people on Saturday for allegedly attacking a group of sadhus in Purulia district. The incident sparked outrage after videos of the attack went viral on social media, with BJP attacking the ruling Trinamool Congress.
The three sadhus who were headed to Gangasagar, a pilgrimage site in West Bengal, in a car had approached a group of women for directions.
“The three girls were heading to a local Kali mandir for pooja when the car stopped near them and the sadhus asked them something. Due to some language issues, some misunderstandings happened and the girls thought that the sadhus were following them... The local public came and took the sadhus near Durga Mandir and vandalised their car. The sadhus were also manhandled... The police provided the sadhus with all possible assistance...,” ANI quoted Purulia Superintendent of Police Avijit Banerjee as saying.
Police clarified that there was no communal angle in the incident.
However, BJP's Amit Malviya slammed the ruling TMC, calling the incident 'absolutely shocking'. He wrote on X, “Absolutely shocking incident reported from Purulia in West Bengal… Sadhus travelling to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti were stripped and beaten by criminals affiliated with the ruling TMC.”
