Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited North Kolkata on Monday to inaugurate a Durga Puja pandal at Santosh Mitra Square, designed in the likeness of the Ram Mandir.
Addressing the gathering, Shah highlighted that the people of Kolkata had already inaugurated the Ram Mandir through this pandal, preceding the temple's official inauguration in Ramjanmbhoomi scheduled for January next year.
He emphasized, "This pandal conveys the message of Ramjanmbhoomi. Before the temple's inauguration, the people of Kolkata have inaugurated it here in North Kolkata. I have come here to seek blessings from Ma Durga. I began my journey from Gujarat and after visiting Chhattisgarh, I have now reached Bengal."
Shah also expressed his intention to pray to Ma Durga for Bengal's liberation from 'corruption,' 'injustice,' and 'atrocities.' He affirmed his commitment to the welfare of the people in Bengal and the entire nation.
While refraining from discussing political matters on this occasion, Shah assured that he would continue to visit Bengal to engage in political discussions and work towards bringing about political change.
Taking a veiled swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Abhishek Banerjee, the national secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), remarked that those who had previously propagated the false narrative that Durga Puja no longer takes place in Bengal were now participating in inaugurating a Durga Puja pandal. He underlined that this is the essence of Bengali culture.
