Several incidents of violence and vandalism have erupted in West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand in the wake of Ram Navami celebrations. Train services were suspended in West Bengal’s Rishra after reports of stone pelting, while reports suggested 140 people had been arrested in Bihar’s Nalanda and Sasaram after clashes. A Hanuman temple in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj area was reportedly vandalised, with right-wing groups and local people staging a sit-in in protest against the district administration. Bihar has been in a state of heightened tensions and was placed on high alert ahead of a scheduled visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the state on 14 April.
