West Bengal police action on desecrated Kali idol sparks controversy

The West Bengal police are facing flak after a video emerged of them shoving  a desecrated idol of Goddess Kali into a police van on Wednesday. The incident happened in connection with the desecration of the idol of Goddess  Kali in the Kakdip area of Sunderbans in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

The police were summoned to the area after reports of the desecration of an idol, which resulted in the arrest of a 28-year-old man, Narayan Halder. He is said to have confessed to having damaged the idol in a temple in Uttar Chadranagar village, while he was in an inebriated state.

However, the incident snowballed into a major controversy after villagers erupted into a protest, asking the police to investigate the incident.

Chaos ensued after a group, including people from the neighbouring village, blocked the roads. Despite the police's bid to calm the protesters, the road blockade continued, with ambulances and other vehicles stranded. Stones were pelted, leading to the police securing the idol inside the police van.

Two cases were registered for road blockade and vandalism against  miscreants involved in spreading misinformation. Police are examining the CCTV footage of the area, though no arrests have been made so far in the  road blockade case.

The incident took a political turn with the BJP alleging that police snatched the idol from an agitated Hindu crowd and dumped it disrespectfully, while lathicharging devotees. “Would they ever dare do the same with a tazia during Muharram? This selective handiness exposes their anti-Hindu mindset,” posted Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) leader Amit Malviya. He alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her police have crossed all limits of brazenness.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari too registered his protest. “Look at my fellow  Bengalis! See how our Maa Kali is being forcefully pushed into a police van  where they transport common criminals. What else is left of our culture?  Mamata has converted this land of Shakti into a Jihadi hellscape.”

Trinamool Congress (TMC) defended the incident, stating the incident was unfortunate. “The BJP is trying to make it a political issue. The accused is part of the BJP Yuva Morcha. The real question is whether he was really in an inebriated state, or was he tutored by the BJP to do this so that they could  indulge in politics over Maa Kali. The police have done a good job by apprehending the accused, who confessed to the crime,” TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said.

India