Kolkata, Sept. 14 -- West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, while visiting Ganesh Puja pandals across the city on Monday, urged people to stay "away from demons". Taking a dig at the so-called "tukde tukde gang", he said such "destructive forces" should be kept at bay and also targeted Marxists for describing religion as "opium".
Adhikari said he would offer anjali at Nabanna during Vishwakarma Puja and invited CPM leaders to join him. "Come and see the change," he said.
He also said Sanatanis understood when to observe vegetarian practices and when to offer non-vegetarian food as prasad to the deity.
On September 10, the Chief Minister had visited the Kalighat temple on Kaushiki Amavasya and partaken of fish bhog offered to the Goddess, days after a controversy erupted over restrictions on non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja.
"We had to face many odds while hosting Puja, as often for holding Puja one had to move the high court for permission" the CM said.
He said that there had been an attempt to make differences among people and divide Sanatani people and "thus the aim was to create division among Sanatanis," the CM said.
"The earlier government had tried to stall Ganesh pujas too and now it is the Ganapati who made an end to the evil day." the CM said.
"Earlier, it was asked why people in Bengal would do Ganesh Puja; only Maharashtra people would do Ganesh Puja, and thus there was an attempt to create parochialism. But we all Hindus are together, and we want to enjoy the festivals," Adhikari remarked.
"Now there will be Durga Puja, soon after Viswakarma Puja. A saint came, and he gave some suggestions, and some people tried to create division among the Sanatanis on that issue. There are Shaktos and Vaishnavs - so we all know what it means by Hinduism and what to eat during the festival days," he said. "We all know this is the land of Swamiji and Shree Chaitanya. We hope you will all enjoy the Puja. This time on Mahalaya we are hosting a grand programme at Eden Gardens - you all come to watch it,' the CM appealed. He also urged people not to inaugurate Durga Puja before Mahalaya. "Those who compared religion with opium are now feeling unnerved with people enjoying even the Ganesh Puja, as they wanted to create differences among the Sanatanis through issues of vegetarianism," he said. The CM wanted Lord Ganesh to bless the state so that there can be more industries and job opportunities.
"Puja was often dubbed as a cultural programme as the CPI(M) did not want to say Durga Puja, though West Bengal is the spiritual capital of the country. We are trying to restore Bengali culture, and it is up to you to decide so that it does not turn into Bangladesh," Adhikari said.
The CM added that during the previous regime former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh was tortured a lot after she joined BJP.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.