West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday attacked the Left parties over their opposition to religious celebrations and urged people to remain cautious of “asuras” and “anti-national forces”.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Bharat Sevashram Ganesh Puja in the city, Adhikari said he had been facing criticism from Communists for celebrating the festival and using the word “puja”.
“I have been receiving a lot of abuse since morning, mainly from Communists, for celebrating the puja and using the word puja. I want to tell Communist Party leaders that I will offer pushpanjali at (state secretariat) Nabanna on Vishwakarma Puja day. Come, join me,” he said.
Adhikari has repeatedly slammed the Left for using the term “sharadotsab”, instead of “Durga Puja”, on bookstalls set up outside pandals during the festival.
“One has to stay cautious of the asuras, stay away from anti-national forces and tukde tukde gangs,” he said.
The CM also defended Sanatani religious symbols and practices, saying the “tilak”, “dhoti” and “tulsi” for men, and “shakha”, “pola” and “sindoor” worn by married women, should be respected and protected.
He said the growing popularity of Ganesh Puja in Bengali households, despite its traditional association with Maharashtra, reflected greater unity among Sanatanis.
Adhikari also called for social unity, saying a “wall” that once divided Bengali-speaking people from Gujarati, Bihari and Hindi-speaking communities had been broken down.
“We are all Sanatanis, we are all Indians, we are all Hindustanis,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI)