Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asserted that Bengal's ethos, unlike that of Uttar Pradesh, would put up with neither communal division nor interference with freedom of personal choices as she went all guns blazing against the saffron ecosystem for the vigilantist assault on two Muslim hawkers at Sunday's Gita recitation event.

All three men arrested on Monday for the attack on the Muslim vendors were released on bail soon. The trio were Soumik Goldar, Tarun Bhattacharya and Swarnendu Chakraborty.

The chief minister, at a public meeting in Krishnanagar, fiercely defended the hawkers, one of whom was 50-year-old Sheikh Riyazul, who alleged that they had been assaulted by participants in the Brigade event for selling non-veg items.

The attackers threw away the foodstuff after asking the hawkers their names and accusing them of being “Bangladeshi infiltrators”. Riyazul alleged that food items worth ₹3,000 had been thrown to the ground, and that he had never faced such an attack in the 22 years he had been in Calcutta.

"A poor hawker went to sell his goods. At every meeting, somebody or the other shows up to do so. Somebody sells tea, somebody sells shingara, another sells jhalmuri, or bhelpuri, or biscuits... he, too, went like that, to sell his stuff. 'Should I be selling this or selling that'... this wasn't playing in his head," said Mamata.

"Dhorey mereychho (Got hold of him and thrashed him)! Had each and everyone arrested. Each and every one of them, whoever dared to beat him. This is Bengal, this is not UP (Uttar Pradesh)!" added the visibly furious Trinamool Congress chief, to thunderous applause from an audience of thousands. "Remember, here your gaddari (treachery) is unwelcome. Your huqum (order) doesn't work here, nor does your aadesh (command)."

The irony of the assault was not lost on many who recalled seeing countless participants in the event merrily gorging on eggs and chicken stew at club tents in the Maidan not long after dispersing from the Brigade Parade Grounds.

Reiterating her pledge to protect the freedom of personal choices, Mamata said: "Remember this, the BJP will not allow consumption of non-veg (in Bengal)."

"It is your choice, whatever it is you want to eat... non-veg or otherwise," she added in an emotive warning to a state where — according to recent data from the likes of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) — 99.3 per cent of the population (comprising around 71 per cent Hindus) eats meat, fish, or poultry.

The Panch Lokkho Konthe Gitapath (Gita recitation in five lakh voices) was officially organised by the Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad, a cluster of monks and Hindutva outfits. Several prominent BJP leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari and Samik Bhattacharya, were present.

Mamata went on to link the incident to the alleged atmosphere of fear that the BJP was trying to create in poll-bound Bengal, an instrument of which was the special intensive revision (SIR) of the voter list.

"From the SIR to the harassment of poor hawkers, everything is part of their pre-poll conspiracy," she said, attacking the BJP for its alleged attempts to weaponise scriptures for electoral benefit.

“I do not believe in divisions, communal or otherwise... I respect each and every religion," she asserted. "What need was there to conduct a public meeting for reciting the Gita? We all read, recite the Gita. Those who pray to the almighty do so in their hearts.... The BJP is trying to destroy Bengal after capturing it.”

The leader of the Opposition, Adhikari, responded with support for the attackers, a demand for victim Riyazul's arrest, and several abhorrent communal statements.

"They were arrested because Mamata Banerjee sees only through one eye. He dared to go to sell non-veg there, and he lied to get in. He hid his identity and got in... arrest him too, there is an FIR against him as well," said the BJP's Nandigram MLA.

"You arrested them... are they terrorists?" he asked. "Because of these things, Bengal's Hindu-Muslim harmony is being spoiled.... I will give these boys full legal support."

Responding to Mamata, Riyazul said he and his family were grateful for the police action.

"I heard what the chief minister said.... I earn ₹200–300 a day by selling (puffs)... I want to thank our chief minister, who helped me with legal support and assisted me throughout," he said.

In response to Adhikari, Riyazul said he never hid his identity to get to the event or sell the puffs. "Why would I hide my identity? Those accusing me of doing so should watch the viral video (which showed the assault on the vendors) again," he said.

"I simply ask everyone to give us a good environment for us to carry on with our little trade and live without fear," added Riyazul, currently in his Arambagh residence for a three-day break. A fellow victim of the Sunday incident, Muntaz Mallick, was also at his Arambagh home.

"Next week, we will return to Calcutta and resume sales in the Maidan," said Riyazul.