Why Durgotsav and not Durga Puja, asks Himanta Biswa Sarma; BJP is thus anti Bengal, responds TMC

Trinamool Congress (TMC) has lashed out at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his remarks on Durga Puja, considered to be the biggest festival in the state. Saarma, who had been campaigning extensively in Bengal after elections got over in Assam, recently criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for promoting “Durgotsav” like a festival instead of “Durga Puja”, like a religious affair. Saarma had also used the same argument to question if anyone would dare call the religious affair of another community a festival. TMC has called the remarks a reflection of “ignorance about the culture of Bengal”, once again calling out BJP an “outsider” to the state. 

“Worshipping and celebrating festivals are two different things. Mamata Banerjee wants to turn Durga Puja into Durga festival. It has started in Bengal. Why do you call it Durgotsav? We draw strength from Puja and not festival. Would you dare call Eid a festival”, Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday. 

TMC has now seized the opportunity to once again launch their ‘anti bengali’ attack against BJP, similar to the 2021 Bengal assembly elections where the Bengali ‘Ashmita’ or pride had dominated the election discourse, where BJP was branded as an outsider to Bengal culture by the TMC. “What do these Bohiragoto Bangla-Birodhis have against Durga Puja in Bengal? First, Dilip Ghosh showed the audacity to question the ancestry of Ma Durga. Then HM Amit Shah falsely claimed that Didi had put a ban on Durga Puja. And now, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma questions why Durga Puja is called 'Durgotsav'. Could their ignorance of Bengal's traditions and faith be any more apparent?” TMC posted on social media as their official statement.

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