Kolkata, Oct 21: West Bengal leader Suvendu Adhikari stated on Wednesday that, in order to respect religious customs and traditions during the immersion of Durga idols in the Hooghly River, only followers of the Sanatana Dharma will be permitted to touch or handle the idols.
He made this statement while inspecting the arrangements for idol immersion at Babughat in Kolkata. Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand and Kolkata Municipal Commissioner Smita Pandey were also present on the occasion.
“I have instructed the Police Commissioner (CP) to verify the identity of those carrying the idols into the Hooghly River. Only those who follow the Sanatana Dharma will touch the idols. There is no communal angle to this,” he said.
The leader noted that, in addition to ensuring that the religious sanctity of the immersion rituals is preserved, extra arrangements have been made this year to address security concerns.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also been deployed this year to prevent any untoward incidents during the immersion process. Suvendu Adhikari stated that, if necessary, assistance could be sought from the police department, disaster management authorities, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the Kolkata Port Trust, and other agencies.
He mentioned that the river water would be cleaned following the completion of the immersion process on October 24. The Chief Minister also expressed concern regarding the safety of spectators traveling in local boats to witness the idol immersion in the Ichamati River at Taki, in the North 24 Parganas district.
It is expected that around 200 local boats will carry spectators during the immersion. He noted that although the administration attempted to discourage this practice, the sentiments of the local people had to be taken into account.
Security has been heightened across the city following a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal on the evening of Maha Saptami, which resulted in 19 deaths.
A senior official stated that 18 IPS officers will oversee the idol immersion process taking place in Kolkata and three neighboring police commissionerates until October 24. He stated that 12 of these officers have been deployed in Kolkata, while the remaining six officers will oversee arrangements in Howrah, Barrackpore, and Chandannagar.