Bengal: TMC MLA's call for grand Durga Puja celebrations triggers row

Kolkata: Amid ongoing protests over the rape-murder of a medic at R G Kar Hospital and calls by members of civil society organisations to observe the Durga Puja festival solemnly, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA on Wednesday urged organisers to celebrate with greater grandeur.

Narayan Goswami, the TMC MLA from Ashoknagar in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas, made this call during a meeting with Durga Puja organisers in Madhyamgram, asserting the need to counter "the ploy by some to disrupt the biggest festival in Bengal and malign the state's image." A video of his remarks has gone viral, although PTI has not independently verified its authenticity.

"We demand justice for our sister doctor, who was brutally murdered. The investigation must be swift, and the guilty punished. However, why should we not observe Durga Puja, which celebrates the triumph of goddess Durga over evil? Why should it be muted?" he asked.

Goswami accused those not rooted in Bengal's culture of attempting to disrupt the festival. "We should respond by celebrating in an even grander manner with more illumination," he added.

BJP leader Sajal Ghosh, organiser of the Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja committee, criticised Goswami’s comments, saying they reflect an "insensitive attitude" among TMC leaders who seem oblivious to the people's anguish.

"The TMC MLA calls for celebrating the festival like a vulture over a body. We will observe Durga Puja solemnly, pledging to seek justice for our Tilottoma," Ghosh said, referring to the victim.

CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said Goswami's remarks were unsurprising, noting that TMC leaders are increasingly fearful of the growing demand for justice following the heinous crime.

He added that amidst news of casualties from floods in several districts, the call for extravagant celebrations reflects the ruling party's "autocratic and dictatorial attitude."