HC nod for Durga immersion on Muharram irks Mamata
Kolkata, Sept. 21: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday hit back at the Calcutta high court over its decision to allow Durga idol immersion on Muharram, stating that anyone can “slit my throat, but no one can tell me what to do.”
Taking up three PILs challenging the state government’s restrictions on the immersion of idols at the end of the five-day Durga puja festival, the Calcutta high court on Thursday allowed immersion of Durga idols on all days from Vijayadashami on September 30, including
I will do what I can to keep peace in the state. Also, someone can slit my throat, but no one can tell me what to do. — Mamata Banerjee, Bengal CM
on Muharram (Octover 1), and directed the West Bengal government to make necessary security arrangements.
The state BJP and the CPM have welcomed the court’s order.
Revoking the chief minister’s order on Durga idol immersion, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rakesh Tiwari and Justice Harish Tandon instructed the police to make separate routes for both, Durga idol immersion and Muharram processions, and directed the state government to put out advertisements giving information about the routes and to ensure amity and harmony between the communities.
During the hearing, the court said that one cannot impose restrictions on the basis of a mere assumption of law and order disruption over the state government’s notification.
Acting Chief Justice Tiwary asked the state government, “Just because you are the state, can you pass arbitrary order? Prohibition means that you are taking last step first.”
The judges further said, “If you (state government) get a dream, that something will go wrong, you cannot impose restrictions.”
Reacting to the high court’s order, Ms
Banerjee, while addressing a gathering at the Ekdalia Evergreen Club here, said, “I will do what I can to keep peace in the state. Also, someone can slit my throat, but no one can tell me what to do”.
The state government had imposed restrictions on Durga idol immersions on Vijayadashami day after 10 pm and said no immersion would be allowed on Muharram, the day of tazia processions.
In its ruling, the court said that immersion of Durga idols would be held on all days from Vijayadashami, including on Muharram, till 12 am.
Declining a plea of the Trinamool Congress government for a stay on the order, the court asked the state to file an affidavit on the prayers made by the petitioners within three weeks after the puja holidays and the petitioners to give their reply within another two weeks.
The matter will come up for hearing five weeks after the vacation.
Terming the court’s order as a victory for the people, Bengal Bharatiya
◗ The Communist Party of India (Marxist) commended the court’s ruling, saying that Ms Banerjee would have ruptured the communal harmony with her order
Janata Party (BJP) vicepresident Chandra Kumar Bose and Rajya Sabha member Roopa Ganguly accused Ms Banerjee of indulging in divisive politics.
“We have observed since 2011, when Mamata Banerjee came to power and became the chief minister, she has been indulging in divisive politics, vote bank politics, and appeasement of a certain community,” Mr Bose said.
Stressing on the harmony between the Hindu and Muslim community in Bengal, Mr Bose said Muslims do not need appeasement, but Ms Banerjee deliberately went out of her way “to capture the 27-28% vote bank.”
“I think in the Durga Puja festival, all communities participate irrespective of religion, caste, and creed,” he added.
“If her government was secular, it would’ve supported both processions simultaneously,” Mr Bose said. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) commended the court’s ruling, saying that Ms Banerjee would have ruptured the communal harmony with her order and destroyed the work done by the Left Front in the past 34 years. Speaking to ANI, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, “We are happy that the non discrimination among the Indian people has been upheld by the judiciary. For 34 years, both festivals used to happen simultaneously and peacefully. Instead of strengthening the bonds of harmony, we have the state government talking in terms of us and them. This kind of division is very dangerous.” On August 23, Ms Banerjee sparked a controversy when she declared that Durga idols would not be immersed after 6 pm on September 30 (Dussehra) and October 1 because of Muharram.