Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata and began his Durga Puja circuit with multiple inaugurations. However, his visit to Kalighat temple sparked a fresh controversy after the BJP alleged that their welcome posters were deliberately removed and replaced by banners featuring Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

From Puja Inaugurations to Controversy

Shah reached Kolkata on Thursday night. On Friday morning, he first inaugurated the Santosh Mitra Square Puja organized by Sajal Ghosh. Following that, he offered prayers at the Kalighat temple and was scheduled to later inaugurate BJP’s Durga Puja at the EZCC. But even before the final event, the Kalighat stop triggered a political storm.

The road leading to the temple was lined with large banners of Mamata Banerjee. Even near the spot where Shah boarded his car, Mamata’s posters dominated the scene. According to the BJP, posters welcoming Shah had been removed overnight and replaced with these banners.

BJP’s Allegations

BJP leader Tushar Kanti Ghosh claimed, “Our workers put up posters and welcome banners for the Home Minister until late Thursday night. But on Friday morning, we found that not a single one remained. In their place, Mamata Banerjee’s posters had been installed.”

He accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of deliberately engaging in “dirty politics,” adding that the police acted like cadres of the ruling party. BJP has also lodged an official complaint at the Kalighat police station regarding the incident.

TMC’s Counterattack

The Trinamool Congress rejected the allegations outright. Prabir Mukherjee, councillor of Ward 83, said, “Amit Shah is our country’s Home Minister too. It is our moral duty to welcome him. The BJP’s claims stem from internal factionalism. What makes me happy is that Shah witnessed the development under Mamata Banerjee with his own eyes.”

He further argued that TMC never resorted to demolition or eviction tactics and accused the BJP of trying to exploit the situation for political mileage.

Festivals Turning Political

What began as a cultural visit quickly turned into a political flashpoint. From Amit Shah’s temple prayers to the poster controversy, his stop in Mamata Banerjee’s stronghold of Kalighat became a symbol of the intensifying political rivalry in Bengal during the Puja season.

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