As the Durga puja fervour gains peak with various themed pandals popping up across the country, an ‘anti-corruption pandal’ has been set up in Kolkata to bring the message home. In what can be seen as a veiled attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal, the anti-corruption pandal is themed after the SSC scam and other cases of alleged corruption.
The Durga Puja pandal prominently displays cut-outs and pictures of Partha Chatterjee, along with bundles of cash, a dummy ED vehicle, and a dummy property with ‘APA’ written at the gate.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah was invited to inaugurate the event. However, he was unable to attend because of prior obligations in Gujarat. In his absence, the Durga Pandal at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre was unveiled by Sukanta Majumda, the leader of the BJP Bengal division.
“Puja is being done in a very traditional way. However, people who visit the pandals will get to see whatever is happening in the state,” said Rudranil Ghosh, head of the BJP’s Sankritik Manch, which was apparently created by Kailash Vijayvargiya and former BJP leader Mukul Roy. According to sources, some officials disagreed with the notion of holding the puja under a party banner.
As far as the SSC scam is concerned, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against 16 accused, including former state minister Partha Chatterjee. It was alleged that the accused conspired with one another in order to gain an unfair advantage in the matter of appointing unqualified candidates to the posts of Group-C staff at various schools through the 3rd RLST (NT), 2016, after the panel had expired.
The Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava, is a yearly celebration that honours the Hindu goddess Durga and commemorates her victory over Mahishasur. Over the years, Durga Puja has become an important part of Indian culture, with innumerable people celebrating this festival in their own unique way while adhering to tradition.
Hindu mythology holds that the goddess comes to her earthly abode at this time to bless her devotees. From the reverberation of ‘dhaak’ and new clothes to delicious food, there remains a merry mood during these days.