Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja Row: BJP Leader Alleges Police Blocking Visitors, Threatens Early Immersion

Kolkata: A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja in central Kolkata, which depicted ‘Operation Sindoor’, one of the main organizers of the puja and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sajal Ghosh on Saturday alleged that police are blocking visitors from reaching the puja pandal.

“If police don’t stop their atrocities and if the audio-visual is not allowed for the visitors, then we will close the puja and immerse the idol before Vijaya Dashami. Is performing Durga Puja a crime in this state? The wide lane of 40 feet is reduced to 15 feet by police by erecting barricades. We have abided by every rule set by Calcutta High Court in setting up the pandal,” complained Ghosh.

Accusation of Political Vendetta

Ghosh further alleged that the police are not directly closing the Durga Puja pandal but are ‘instigating’ the puja committee to do so.

“Due to the barricades the visitors are not able to come to this puja pavilion, and cars are not able to enter the area. Continuing with the puja alongside fighting with the police is not possible. Public opinion is the only way to continue the puja. Or else we will put black cloth on the idol's face and after talking to the priest will immerse the idol. This is political vendetta of TMC as the audio-visual depicts the credit of central government in tackling cross-border terrorism and giving Pakistan a befitting reply,” further mentioned Ghosh.

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Police Denial

Kolkata Commissioner of Police Manoj Verma, however, rubbished the claims of the BJP leader.

TMC’s Response

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh said that the police had set up barricades for the safety of the visitors.