Holi Row Erupts in Bengal as Shantiniketan Poster Triggers Political Controversy

A poster barring the use of colors at the historical Sonajhuri Haat in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, has sparked a high-level political scandal before Holi. The ban, purportedly to keep vegetation intact, was sharply condemned by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and accused the governing Trinamool Congress (TMC) of forbidding Holi celebrations.

Poster Rouses Political Accusations

The internet-sharing poster, put up in Bengali, reads:

“Reserved forest area: Playing with colours, car parking, videography, and use of drone cameras are not allowed.”

BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged this was not a one-off but part of a larger trend of appeasement politics of the Bengal government.

“In 2025, for the first time ever, meetings at all police stations were conducted regarding Holi. This is a special month (Ramzan) for another population, and this time Holi is on a Friday. Police have openly proclaimed that Holi must not be celebrated, there must be colors, and they even threatened with arrests,” claimed Adhikari.

He also alleged that in Birbhum district, the top cop put a 10 AM deadline for the completion of Basanta Utsav festivities in Shantiniketan. “The police, administration, and state government are playing divisive politics and appeasement,” he said.

State Government Responds

West Bengal‘s Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda refuted BJP’s charges and made it clear that there was no restriction over playing Holi at Sonajhuri Haat.

“This is a plea to save nature. There is no ban. If anyone desires to celebrate Holi, they can. BJP does not have any other topic to play politics on, hence doing this,” she said.

Hansda also requested a report from the District Forest Officer and ensured that an inquiry was in progress regarding the controversial poster.

Basanta Utsav and Holi Celebrations

Basanta Utsav, observed during Dol Jatra and Holi, is a special festival instituted by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in the 1920s to celebrate the advent of spring. The festival is a part of Bengal’s rich cultural heritage, and imposing any limitation on the celebration would be a sensitive issue.

As political tensions intensify, the controversy regarding the celebration of Holi in Shantiniketan refuses to die down, with both sides firm in their respective versions.