Puja panel divided on inviting Amit Shah for inauguration
Kolkata: The organisers of a Durga Puja in east Kolkata's Salt Lake area were divided on Sunday over inviting Union Home Minister and BJP national president Amit Shah to inaugurate it on October 1.
The state BJP leadership confirmed that Shah will inaugurate the BJ Block Durga Puja during his two-day trip to Kolkata, even as secretary of the committee, Anindya Sinha Roy, on Sunday told reporters that they have no idea about the Union minister being invited. "The puja committee members were not informed about the Union Home minister coming here to inaugurate to the puja. The committee president might have invited him, but we have no information about it. We felt very insulted by this and when we confronted the president, he said he made a mistake by not telling us about it," said Sinha Roy.
He added they have no problem if the Union home minister comes to inaugurate the puja. "But, he is a leader of a political party and we don't want our puja to get any political colour."
B J Block committee president Umashankar Ghosh Dastidar, on the other hand, told reporters on Sunday that Shah has agreed to inaugurate the Puja on Tuesday.
"He is not coming here as the BJP national president, but as Union Home minister. He has every right to come here and inaugurate the puja. They are crying foul as the decision to invite Shah was taken in a meeting with them. The person, who is creating such confusion, is speaking on a behalf of a political party. But, we have no political affiliation as we invite all MP, MLAs and Councillors of this area to our puja. As the Union home minister is coming here this year, everything could not be discussed with all the members due to security reasons," he said.
Apart from Shah, Bidhannagar Mayor Krishna Chakraborty, TMC MLA and Minister Sujit Bose have also been invited.
State BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu confirmed that Shah will inaugurate the puja. "The Union home minister is coming to inaugurate the Puja. He will come here at 7 pm Tuesday. Some people are trying to mislead the people about it," Basu said.
(with inputs from Indian Express)
