Amit Shah Inaugurates Durga Pujas in Kolkata, Vows ‘Sonar Bangla’
Union Home Minister’s temple visit sparks political row as BJP, TMC trade charges amid festive season.
Kolkata, Sep 27: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday inaugurated the Durga Puja at Santosh Mitra Square in central Kolkata, declaring that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would form the next government in West Bengal and build a “Sonar Bangla” a golden Bengal envisioned by Rabindranath Tagore.
Shah toured the themed pandal, offered prayers, and watched an audio-visual presentation before telling devotees, “I prayed to the Goddess that after the Assembly election, Bengal gets a government that can build a Sonar Bangla.” He also paid tribute to 19th-century social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, lauding his contribution to education, women’s empowerment, and Bengali grammar.
After inaugurating the Santosh Mitra Square puja, Shah visited the Kalighat temple and later launched the BJP’s own Durga Puja at the East Zone Cultural Centre. However, his temple visit sparked controversy after BJP leader Tushar Kanti Ghosh alleged that posters welcoming Shah were removed overnight and replaced with those of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “This is dirty politics by the Trinamool Congress,” Ghosh claimed, accusing the police of siding with the ruling party.
Trinamool Congress dismissed the charge, with local councillor Prabir Mukherjee calling it a “BJP internal feud.” He added, “In fact, I am glad Amit Shah saw the development under Mamata Banerjee.” The incident highlighted how West Bengal’s festive season is increasingly infused with political undertones ahead of next year’s Assembly polls.
