Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could emerge victor in a bitter battle with Hindu right-wing organisations over immersion of idols during the states biggest festival, Durga Puja.
Till Friday morning, the police had not received any application from community puja organisers anywhere in the state seeking permission to take out Durga immersion procession on October 1, the day when a section of Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet.
Banerjees government and BJP and its allied organisations are locked in a bitter war of words after the chief minister banned immersion on the day. The BJP accused her of trying to appease the minority community.
A division bench of the Calcutta high court, however, stayed the blanket ban and ruled that immersions should be allowed if the police found that the processions would not jeopardise the law and order situation. The court also ordered the police to identify separate routes for Muharram and Durga puja processions.
Chastised by the court ruling, the state government asked puja organisers to apply to the police sufficiently in advance for obtaining permission for immersions.
