West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (File Photo: IANS)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee finds herself in controversy yet again. In a statement that is seen as appeasement politics she announced that the Durga idol immersion will not be allowed after 6 pm on 30 September. As Muharram is falling a day after the end of four-day long Durga Puja on 1 October.
She made these remark on her Twitter handle . The immersion would however ,resume on 2 October and continue till 4 October.
This year Durga Puja & Muharram fall on the same day. Except for a 24 hour period on the day of Muharram… 1/2
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 23, 2017
… Immersions can take place on October 2, 3 and 4… 2/2
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 23, 2017
Banerjee also appealed to the people to cooperate with each other and not fall prey to provocation leading to communal tension.
“Some people will try to create trouble on Hindu-Muslim grounds. Every religion is ours. But if there is a problem while a procession is passing a puja pandal, we will all be affected,” NDTV quoted Banerjee as saying.
BJP immediately reacted to the announcement saying that they will challenge the decision in the court, and accused Mamata of “minority appeasement”.
“Last year, she had given similar orders which were challenged in the high court, which had pulled up the state government for giving such arbitrary orders aimed at appeasing the minorities. However, the high court order had come after the festival. We will challenge her decision in the court of law,” the Indian Express quoted BJP’s national secretary Rahul Sinha.
“The Mamata Banerjee government is appeasing the minorities by putting restrictions on Hindu celebrations. Hindus here cannot take out Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti processions. Now she has put a restriction on idol immersion. We oppose such a decision,” he added.
BJP’s West Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh equated the chief minister’s decision with Talibani rule. “Is West Bengal gradually heading towards Talibani rule? Saraswati Pujas being stopped at schools, Durga puja immersion being repeatedly barred, the attempt to introduce Urdu-Arabic words in Bengali language (abba, amma, aasmani) …all this is proof of that. After this we will have to start calling ‘didimoni’ (Mamata Banerjee) by the (Urdu) term (for sister), ‘apa’. How long will the people of Bengal tolerate all this?,” he wrote on Facebook.
This is not the first time Mamata has courted controversy , it may be recalled last year too Mamata had angered many by imposing similar restrictions on idol immersion during Durga Puja which Calcutta High Court later lifted, terming the move as “arbitrary” and a “clear endeavour” by the state to “appease the minority section of the public, The Indian Express report said.
