Kolkata, Jan 13 (IANS): West Bengal Police on Saturday said that 12 people were arrested for allegedly attacking three monks from Uttar Pradesh who were heading to the ongoing Gangasagar Mela in Sagar Islands, North 24 Parganas district, on the basis of a kidnapping rumour.

Police sources said that the monks were attacked on Thursday night by a group of villagers in Kashipur, Purulia district after rumours had spread that the victims were on the run after abducting a local teenage girl.

The monks, originally hail from Bareilly, first went to Puri in Odisha and from there they reached Purulia on Thursday afternoon.

“On Thursday afternoon there was a misunderstanding between the three Gangasagar-bound sadhus and three local minor girls near Kashipur over language problems,” said a statement issued by the Purulia district police on Saturday morning.

"The girls got scared and local people manhandled the sadhus and damaged their vehicle, alleging a kidnapping attempt. Local police promptly intervened and rescued the sadhus.

"Twelve people had been arrested over the incident on the basis of a specific case. All possible assistance was rendered to the sadhus," the statement added.

After arriving in Kolkata on Saturday, Union Minister Anurag Thakur launched a scathing attack on the West Bengal government over the attack.

“Why is such a situation surfacing in West Bengal? This is the result of the politics of appeasement. During a religious function a curfew-like situation is created in the state, where Hindus are not allowed to participate in their festivals. There had been attacks on monks.

"The state government is silent in the matter. Where is West Bengal heading to because of this appeasement politics? Why is an anti-Hindu narrative created here?” Thakur questioned while speaking to the mediapersons at the Kolkata airport.