‘I don’t appease’: Mamata Banerjee’s pre-poll temple push, BJP bristles

Kolkata (TIP)-West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation stone for ‘Durga Angan’, a cultural complex dedicated to Goddess Durga. At the event, she insisted that she was a “true secularist,” and dismissed accusations of “appeasement politics.”
The BJP, however, hit back sharply and accused Banerjee of misusing land intended for industrial development, calling her “fake” and questioning the lack of tenders and work orders for the project.
Durga Angan is a Rs 261.99 crore project that will come up near Eco Park in Kolkata’s New Town area on a 17.28-acre plot. As per the Chief Minister, the complex is a tribute to Unesco’s recognition of Durga Puja as a cultural heritage.
“I respect all religions and participate in their festivals because I believe faith belongs to individuals, but festivals belong to everyone,” Banerjee said on the occasion. The Chief Minister’s statement came in response to repeated allegations from opponents accusing her of engaging in appeasement politics.
Banerjee described herself as a secular leader dedicated to equal respect for all faiths. She told the gathering, “Many people blame me for appeasement politics. I am a true secularist. I believe in the peaceful coexistence of all religions. You can’t show me a religion whose celebrations I don’t attend.”
“Every religion has its cultural practices. How can I disregard any of them? Some people are looting and vandalising. Decisions are being made about who will stay and who will have to leave. I will pray to Goddess Durga to destroy evil,” she said.
In her address, the Chief Minister also took a dig at the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, which the ruling Trinamool Congress has vehemently opposed. “What is the link between nationality and voting rights? When someone speaks Bengali, they are denied rooms in hotels. When a person speaks Bengali, they are labelled as Bangladeshi. You are ready to call those who arrived in 2024 citizens, but not those who have lived and died here. We are being patient. But there is a limit. The land of Bangla doesn’t bow down. Everyone’s voting rights must be preserved,” she added.
BJP leaders, however, sharply criticised the timing and process behind the Durga Angan project, which comes just months ahead of the Assembly polls in the state.
Senior party leader Suvendu Adhikari questioned the use of the land and the transparency of the initiative.
“She is doing it on a plot that was meant for industry. She drove away industry and is now doing all this. There was no tender sought. There is no work order. This is all fake. Everyone calls Mamata Banerjee a thief. From today, her new name is fake Chief Minister,” he said.