Kolkata, Sept. 10 -- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday warned that communist groups would not be allowed to set up stalls at Durga Puja venues if they used 'Sharodotsav' instead of 'Durga Puja' on their banners, drawing a sharp rebuttal from CPM leader Shatarup Ghosh, who said: "Our decision will be taken by us."

Adhikari issued the warning during a special Assembly session, where he launched a broadside against the CPM and the Left Front while defending a bill facilitating inter-university transfers of teaching and non-teaching staff.

Defending the legislation, Adhikari alleged that a section of teachers had been functioning with a Leftist bias and said the changes were needed to "uproot" such influence.

He also said a commission would be constituted to probe the murder of Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Gopal Sen, alleging the involvement of JUTA members.

Taking aim at the Left's legacy, Adhikari alleged that around 2,500 CPM party offices had been built using money meant for the poor and claimed that entire families of CPM leaders had benefited from government jobs. "I will get all the lists out," he said, warning that his government would scrutinise recruitment practices during the Left regime.

Adhikari also alleged that followers of the Sanatan faith were being deliberately targeted and objected to describing Durga Puja as 'Sharodotsav', saying puja committees should retain the festival's traditional religious identity. Shatarup Ghosh later took a swipe at the Chief Minister on social media, asking whether a stall would be allowed if its banner carried 'Durga Puja' but Narada videos were played inside.

Adhikari repeatedly invoked the coming months as a period of political confrontation. "This is the right time to uproot the seeds you have planted in Bengal. There will be a three-month war," he said.

Legal experts said that if implemented as an administrative restriction, the Chief Minister's decision could face a constitutional challenge under Article 19 (Right to Freedom), particularly Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression) and Article 19(1)(c) (freedom to form associations).

They said preventing a political organisation from putting up a stall merely over the terminology used on its banner could infringe its rights to political expression and association.

Any restriction on these fundamental rights would also have to satisfy the constitutional test of reasonable restrictions.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.