Kolkata: Central Kolkata came to a standstill as the West Bengal government organised a march to express gratitude to the UNESCO for giving Durga Puja a heritage tag. The event has turned out to be a political extravaganza of the ruling party and a reply to the BJP's allegation that the ruling TMC was restricting the celebration of Hindu festivals.
The event is being organised a month ahead of Durga Puja. Political observers termed it a desperate attempt by the ruling party to woo Bengalis by riding on the sentiment of the festival.
Taking a jibe at Thursday's event and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP's Amit Malviya said, "She is organising a rally to take credit for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tag for Durga puja. The truth however is that she had no role whatsoever in getting the award. It was because of efforts of Sangeet Natak Aademi, an institution under the Modi government,"’ he tweeted.
Several arterial roads were closed for vehicular movements and schools in north Kolkata announced a holiday anticipating massive footfall in the march that started from the iconic Jorasanko Thakurbari and ended on Red Road.
Bhupen Bose Avenue, J. M. Avenue, Central Avenue, Vivekananda Road, KK Tagore Street M G Road, BB Ganguly Street, SN Banerjee Road, GC Avenue Lenin Sarani, Mayo Road RR Avenue and JL Nehru Road's Esplanade Row were among the thoroughfares that were closed for traffic for many hours.
This year, a month-long celebration ahead of Durga Puja has commenced in Kolkata from Thursday onwards.
The state government set the festive mood in place at a time when the ruling party's heavyweights, former minister Partha Chatterjee and party's strongman Anubrata Mondal, were arrested on the charges of being involved in a scam by two central agencies.
"The BJP, during the campaign in last year’s Assembly elections, accused Mamata’s government of restricting people of Bengal from celebrating Hindu festivals like Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja. The announcement of the month-long celebration and Thursday’s march appeared to be an attempt to blunt BJP’s allegation.
Besides, it is also an effort to divert people's attention from the ongoing corruption charges faced by TMC leaders. "It is like caging two birds with one festival," said a political observer preferring anonymity.
Without naming the BJP, Mamata, at the end of the event, said, "Religious belief is an individual's choice. In Bengal, we celebrate and become part of festivals of all communities."