Kolkata, Sep 20 (PTI) As West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated three Durga puja pandals in the city on the eve of Mahalaya, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday accused Banerjee of being disrespectful towards Hindu sentiments.
Rebutting Adhikari, ruling Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said Banerjee, being a devout Hindu woman, a Brahmin, need not learn about the religion from people like BJP’s Adhikari, whose party only seeks to “divide people along religious and communal lines”.
Adhikari, in a post on X, said, “Mamata Banerjee has proven herself to be nothing short of an agent of disruption, deliberately sabotaging our age-old Hindu rituals and sentiments just to pander to her narrow vote bank politics.” “On the very last day of ‘Pitru paksha’, a 15-lunar-day period in the Hindu calendar dedicated to honouring and paying respects to our ancestors, a time period which is generally considered inauspicious to start something new, she brazenly inaugurates Durga Puja pandals right before Mahalaya. This is not ignorance; this is calculated malice,” he said.
Reminding ‘Pitru paksha’ is a time of solemn remembrance, shraddha, and restraint, the senior BJP leader said, “our scriptures and traditions are crystal clear: no new beginnings, no festivities during this phase, as it invites inauspiciousness. Mahalaya marks the invocation of Maa Durga, the true herald of Shuva Sharadiya. But no, Mamata Banerjee can’t wait. She has to rush in with her political fanfare, turning a divine celebration into her personal PR stunt,” he said.
“This is disrespectful towards Hindu culture and traditions, a blatant attempt to dilute our customs to appease those who don’t share our faith,” he said.
Adhikari later alleged before reporters that Banerjee covered her head with a scarf while addressing the crowd at one of the puja pandals, which hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindus.
Countering him, Ghosh said, “Mamata Banerjee need not learn lessons from people like Adhikari on the issues of Hinduism as she herself is a devout Hindu who worships goddess Kali at her residence, who fasts on the occasion. Who offers puja to Santoshi Maa every week. Who knows every sloka and hymn by heart and can recite.” Ghosh further urged Adhikari to “brush up his knowledge” as “Durga Puja rituals have already started in some royal households following traditions of centuries.
She also did not inaugurate the deity in any of the pandals before the Devi Paksha, he said.
BJP leaders like Adhikari are only “trying to polarise people on the basis of religion” even on the occasion of Durga Puja in Bengal, known for its spirit of amity, togetherness and devotion, he emphasised. PTI SUS RG
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