A Durga Puja event in Kolkata, organized by the All India Hindu Mahasabha, portrayed the ‘asura’ as a bespectacled, dhoti-clad bald man with a walking stick, bearing a resemblance to Mahatma Gandhi. The organizers claimed that the similarity was coincidental but asserted the need to criticize Gandhi for his role in the freedom movement. The depiction faced criticism from various political parties, including the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), CPI-M, and Congress.
Chandrachur Goswami, the working President of the West Bengal state unit of All India Hindu Mahasabha, defended the portrayal, stating, “A person with a bald head and wearing spectacles need not be Gandhi. See the asura is also holding a dhal (shield). Gandhi never held a dhal. It is coincidental that our asura whom Maa Durga is killing looks like Gandhi. Many people said it looks like Gandhi. However, it is also true that Gandhi needs to be criticized.”
Trinamool Congress state General Secretary Kunal Ghosh criticized the act as the “height of indecency,” expressing strong protest and accusing the BJP of dividing the nation. CPI-M Central Committee Member Samik Lahiri commented, “This is the BJP and this is the Sangh Parivar. They only know how to divide the nation.” BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya disapproved of the portrayal, stating that such things are unacceptable, and the administration should take immediate steps against the organizers.
Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy emphasized the respect Gandhi receives globally and termed the insult as a shame. Chandrachur of the All India Hindu Mahasabha defended the criticism of Gandhi, asserting that he needs to be evaluated properly for his role in the national freedom movement. He expressed a preference for heroes like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh, stating a desire for a “Gandhi-mukt Bharatvarsh” and questioned why the book ‘Why I killed Gandhi’ by Nathuram Godse is not made public by the Central government.
When asked about police intervention, Goswami mentioned that they had police permission for the Durga Puja, and as of now, there has been no intervention. The Puja, organized under the banner of All India Hindu Mahasabha, has a theme of ‘women empowerment,’ featuring women purohits performing the ritual.