Kolkata, 14 September (H.S.) : Congress leader Atanu Das, who was arrested in connection with the burning of a photograph of Bageshwar Dham chief Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, was granted bail by an Alipore court on Monday, four days after his arrest.

Das, general secretary of the South Kolkata District Congress, was arrested by Bhawanipur Police on Thursday night. The court had initially remanded him to four days of police custody. His bail plea was subsequently allowed on Monday.

The controversy erupted following remarks made by Shastri, the head of Bageshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh, during his visit to West Bengal for a programme in Liluah. He had criticised the consumption of non-vegetarian food during religious festivities and referred to Bengalis as “hypocrites”. He later explained his remarks after leaving West Bengal.

Protesting against Shastri's comments, a section of Congress leaders and workers burnt his photograph outside Bhawanipur Police Station last Tuesday.

The incident was raised in the state Assembly on Thursday by Chief Minister and state Home Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who directed the police to arrest those involved. “I saw some people burning a photograph outside Bhawanipur Police Station. I am telling the Commissioner of Police that those people must be arrested,” he said.

Following the Chief Minister's directive, police registered an FIR against the protesters on charges including public harassment, attempts to disturb peace, attempts to create hostility between different groups on the basis of religion, caste and language, and promoting hatred.

Das was arrested from his residence at Kshetramohan Naskar Lane in Kolkata on Thursday night and produced before a court the following day. The court ordered four days of police custody.

His lawyer had argued that the arrest was “illegal” and maintained that protesting was a constitutional right. The government lawyer, however, argued that the incident had brought disrepute to the state.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court granted bail to Das on Monday. West Bengal Pradesh Congress general secretary Ashutosh Chattopadhyay described the development as a “victory of truth”.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh