Only Sanatanis can touch goddess Durga idols: Suvendu Adhikari's new diktat

Suvendu Adhikari reviewed Durga idol immersion arrangements and restricted idol handling to Sanatan followers. The directive foregrounds religious tradition as authorities tighten safety across Kolkata and Taki.

In Short

• NDRF joined police and civic teams to strengthen immersion safety arrangements
• Trolleys replaced cranes after complaints about handling idols at Babughat
• Authorities provided life jackets for spectators using country boats at Taki

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said only followers of Sanatan Dharma would be allowed to touch Durga idols during immersion in the Hooghly river, asserting that religious traditions must be followed, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Adhikari said security arrangements had been strengthened this year, considering both safety concerns and the religious significance of the immersion rituals. The National Disaster Response Force has also been included in the arrangements to prevent any untoward incident.

The chief minister made the remarks while reviewing immersion arrangements at Babughat in Kolkata with Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand and Kolkata Municipal Commissioner Smita Pandey.

“I have instructed the CP to keep the identification of those who will be involved in carrying the idols into the Hooghly. Those who follow Sanatan Dharma will touch the idols. There is no communal matter in it,” Adhikari said, according to PTI.

“To maintain the purity of the immersion, we have to follow the traditions, the scriptures and the rules that have been followed for several thousand years. This is a festival, but primarily it is a religious programme,” he said.

BSF IS HELPING US: CM ADHIKARY

Adhikari said trolleys had been arranged instead of cranes following complaints. He added that the police, disaster management authorities and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation could seek help from other agencies, including the Kolkata Port Trust, if required.

The water would be cleaned after the immersion process ends on October 24, he said.

The chief minister also expressed concern about the safety of people travelling in country boats to watch idol immersion in the Ichamati river at Taki in North 24 Parganas district.

“At least 200 country boats were expected to carry spectators during the immersion process. The administration had tried to discourage the practice but had to take local sentiments into account,” he said.

“We have taken precautions like providing life jackets and measures to balance the weight, but we are still worried because most of them are country boats, or dingi,” he added.

Adhikari said the Border Security Force had been enlisted to assist with the arrangements at Taki. A cabinet minister had also been sent to the area, while the Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Barasat Range had been given responsibility for overseeing the arrangements.

After visiting Babughat, the chief minister reviewed immersion arrangements at ghats on the Howrah side of the Hooghly river from a boat.

SECURITY TIGHTENED AFTER STAMPEDE

The administration has increased security following the stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal on Mahasaptami evening, which claimed 19 lives.

A senior official told PTI that 18 Indian Police Service officers would supervise idol immersions in Kolkata and three neighbouring police commissionerates until October 24. Twelve officers have been assigned to Kolkata, while six will oversee the process in Howrah, Barrackpore and Chandannagar.

In Kolkata, Gaurav Sharma, Soma Das Mitra, Rashid Munir Khan, Akash Magharia, Suresh Kumar Chadive and Dhritiman Sarkar will supervise immersions on October 21 and 23. Praveen Kumar Tripathi, Imran Wahab, Shish Ram Jhajharia, Soumya Roy, Parijat Biswas and Siddhartha Dhapola will be on duty in the city on October 22 and 24.

In Howrah, Indra Chakraborty will oversee immersions on October 21 and 23, while Avaru Ravindranath will supervise the process on October 22 and 24.

Palash Chandra Dhali and Dyutiman Bhattacharya have been assigned to Barrackpore, while Abhijit Banerjee and Sandeep Mandal will oversee immersions in Chandannagar.

The immersion arrangements will remain in place until October 24, with police, disaster management teams, civic authorities, the NDRF and other agencies tasked with ensuring security and maintaining religious practices at the venues.

- Ends