Ishrat Jahan | Photo Credit: ANI

Key Highlights Over 100 locals from the minority community surrounded Ishrat Jahan and accused her of acting against her religion She slammed the Howrah Police saying that chanting Hanuman Chalisa is a holy affair and cops should not have treated the BJP workers and common people like this

Kolkata: BJP leader Ishrat Jahan and her children were driven out of their home by their landlord in Howrah for attending a Hindu religious ceremony and reciting Hanuman Chalisa. Yesterday, a huge crowd gathered outside her house asking her why she went to attend Hanuman Chalisa event wearing hijab.

Ishrat, who shot into limelight after filing a petition against Triple talaq, was returning home after picking her son back from school when over 100 locals from the minority community surrounded her. The mob accused Jahan of reciting Hanuman Chalisa saying she acted against her religion.

Ishrat claimed that the men kept shouting at her for taking part in the Hindu religious program.

“I am receiving death threats. I demand protection. I live alone with my son; anything can happen to me anytime,” she added.

Several BJP workers had blocked a road and organised Hanuman Chali recital program during which Ishrat was also present. She was also seen distributing Hanuman Chalisa to people who participated in it.

The group also entered into a scuffle with the police for blocking the road after which they were dispersed.

Ishrat slammed the Howrah Police saying that chanting Hanuman Chalisa is a holy affair and the cops should not have treated the BJP workers and common people like this.

Ishrat’s husband had divorced her over the phone from Dubai in 2014. Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha recited Hanuman Chalisa near Bally Khal in Howrah.

BJYM president OP Singh had said, “GT Road is blocked to offer Friday namaz. Patients die and can't reach the office on time. As long as this practise continues we will continue with recitation.”

The BJP and TMC have been at loggerheads ever since the Lok Sabha election results were declared.

Taking Mamata Banerjee-led TMC by complete surprise the BJP won 18 seats while the former secured 22 seats in the polls. The state also witnessed unprecedented violence after May 23 in which party workers from both sides were killed and injured.

To counter BJP’s meteoric rise Mamata Banerjee has directed all her party MLAs to not yield “even an inch” of political space to the BJP.

She further instructed the legislators to form four-member teams in every area to keep a tab on development works carried out in their area.

These decisions were taken to counter the BJP in every constituency in the run-up to the 2021 assembly polls.

The party has also witnessed a series of defections with a number of lawmakers, councillors and panchayat level functionaries leaving the state's ruling party to join the BJP.