Chaos prevailed at the central business district in the city, which was in turmoil with traffic jams due to the Rani Rashmoni rally, organised by the Bangla Hindu Suraksha Samiti.

Persecution of Hindus across the border shows no signs of stopping. Swami Chinmoy Krishna is still imprisoned. In protest, Kolkata residents took to the streets again. On Monday, the Bengali Hindu Protection Committee organised a march from Sealdah to Dharmatala, demanding the immediate release of Swami Chinmoy Krishna. The protesters also called for an end to Hindu persecution and the fall of Bangladesh’s interim government led by Mohammad Yunus. The streets of Kolkata echoed with chants of “Jai Shri Ram.” The rally, which began at 1 pm from Sealdah, saw participation from common citizens as well as saints and ascetics carrying saffron flags and chanting slogans. The procession also crossed Howrah Bridge. Protesters also mocked BNP’s threat to “capture Kolkata”.

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The rally caused massive traffic jams in Kolkata, creating inconvenience for the public.

The rally was called to demand the release of Swami Chinmoy Krishna Das and to stop attacks on the minority community in Bangladesh. In a video message at the rally, senior Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya said, “Bangladeshi fundamentalists should remember that India saved this country from Pakistan’s oppression.” On the occasion of Vijay Diwas, he paid tribute to the hundreds of Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Bangladesh’s independence.

Thousands of Hindus gave their lives to bring you independence,” said Jagadguru Ramanandacharya, who is also the chief of Digambar Akhara in Ayodhya. Murshidabad Beldanga’s chief of Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS) Swami Pradiptananda, also known as Karthik Maharaj, stated, “If Bangladesh gets devoid of Hindus, if India becomes Hindu-less, the world will be destroyed. That is why Swami Vivekananda was embraced by the first world countries. The barbaric attacks on Bangladesh’s minorities are cowardly and foolish.”