West Bengal: Fresh Mamata-BJP tussle looms over Durga Puja-Muharram overlap

As Durga Puja in West Bengal comes to a close, a possible political tussle between the Trinamool Congress — led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — and the state BJP looks to be on the cards. The topic: The overlapping of Durga idol immersion and Muharram processions, especially in Kolkata. 

The BJP has accused Banerjee of hurting Hindu sentiments when she ordered that immersion of Durga idols be stopped for 24 hours on Sunday, October 1, so Muharram processions can be taken out by Muslims, especially in Kolkata. 

It may be noted that the Durga idol immersions should ideally take place on the day of Bijoya Dashami, which falls on Saturday, September 30 this year. However, given the number of Durga idols across Kolkata, the immersion activities often spill over to the next few days. 

Order, backlash and setback

It was this activity that Banerjee had sought to restrict when she had announced late last month that immersion of Durga idols would be banned in Kolkata from 6 pm of September 30 and the entirety of October 1. She later clarified that the ban was only for October 1. 

She faced severe backlash from various quarters for her decision, not the least of which was from the BJP — both at the state and the national level.

While local leaders of the saffron party had vociferously protested against the move, Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga had said he would be on Kolkata on September 30 and October 1 to show solidarity with party colleagues and take part in agitations. 

The ban itself had, however, been lifted by the Calcutta High Court, which had chastised Banerjee and her government for the step.

"If you dream that something will go wrong, you cannot impose restrictions... There is a difference between regulation and prohibition... You cannot interfere with the faith of the people, treat them with equality," Acting Chief Justice Rakesh Tiwary had said while rescinding the ban. 

Police permission problem?

Following the HC judgement, the state government had said that organisers wishing to immerse idols on the day of Muharram would have to seek police permission, and this could be denied on the ground that it could affect the law and order situation. 

The deadline for seeking such permission came and went at 5:30 pm on September 29, with local reports saying not a single organiser had approached the government, meaning Banerjee had had her way. 

The BJP will look to play this up for political gains, and may have already started doing so. BJP leader Rahul Sinha has been quoted by Times Now as saying that the state government may have scared people away with this new policy of seeking police permission for Durga idol immersion.

The Bagga episode

What will further fuel the feud between the Trinamool and the BJP is what happened to Tajinder Pal singh Bagga after he landed at the Kolkata airport from Delhi. 

As per Bagga's tweets, he was quickly taken into custody by the police. And then, he was apparently told by the police that they were under orders from Banerjee herself that he be sent back to Delhi. 

Bagga's tweets rippled through the right-wing section of Twitter, and soon people were coming out in support of him. The Bengal unit of the BJP, through its Twitter handle, asked Banerjee why Bagga was refused entry into the state despite having all valid documents. 

Even actor-turned-politician Babul Supriyo extended his support. The Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises said what Bagga faced was the brand of policing the BJP was fighting in West Bengal. 

This may well serve as a trigger for further political tussles between the Trinamool and the BJP, and the saffron party will look to cash in on this "police atrocity" — as Supriyo described it — to further its agenda in West Bengal and ride the anti-Trinamool wave to gain power in the state in the next Assembly elections. 

It may be noted here that the Trinamool regime in Bengal had recently cancelled the booking of a state-owned auditorium where Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat was slated to speak.