Union Home Minister Amit Shah on October 16 inaugurated the Durga Puja Pandal designed on the theme of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and vowed to pursue the fight until there is a change in West Bengal.
“I am not here to discuss politics, but I will continue to visit Bengal and pursue my fight until we witness a change in the State,” Mr. Shah stated, during the Durga Puja Pandal Santosh Mitra Square.
The Durga Puja at Santosh Mitra Square is being organised by BJP leader Sajal Ghosh and is an attempt to stamp the saffron party involvement in the largest religious and cultural and religious event of the State which is being fully dominated and controlled by the Trinamool Congress.
He also praised the organisers of the ‘Pandal’ (marquee) design, which resembles the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. “The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is set to be inaugurated in January. However, the people of Kolkata have already celebrated the temple’s inauguration through this Durga Puja Pandal. I extend my congratulations to all of you for this remarkable effort,” the Home Minister added.
The Trinamool Congress leadership in the State taunted the Home Minister by saying that it was the BJP leadership in the State that had once alleged that Durga Puja festivities were not allowed in West Bengal are now rushing to the State to inaugurate ‘Pandals’.
Taking a swipe at the Union Home Minister, Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said, “Victory of our culture! Political outsiders, who once lied about Bengal’s Durga Puja festivities are here to inaugurate pandals”.
During the campaign for the 2021 Assembly polls, several BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, had alleged that the Trinamool Congress government was against celebrating Durga Pujas in the State. In December 2021, Durga Puja in Kolkata was included in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Published - October 17, 2023 03:35 am IST
