Patna/Raipur/Kolkata: Police in Kolkata have lodged an FIR against the organisers of the All India Hindu Mahasabha Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata after a controversy broke out on Sunday over the ‘asura’ being depicted as Mahatma Gandhi.
The case, according to reports, was lodged under sections 188 (disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant), 283 (causing danger or obstruction in any public way), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
Pertinently, on Sunday when the entire nation observed the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a puja organised by Hindu Mahasabha at Kasba on the eastern fringes of Kolkata triggered controversy as the saffron group showcased Mahatma as an Asura (Demon) being slayed by the deity Durga.
Also read:Hindu Mahasabha displays Mahatma Gandhi as 'Asura' during Durga puja in Kolkata, sparks controversy
The Asura's face resembled that of Mahatma Gandhi so much so that it even wore the round-rimmed spectacles Mahatma Gandhi became synonymous with. Durga puja is a festival observed for four days in West Bengal where the idol of Durga is shown killing the demon, portraying the destruction of evil forces. Later the organisers claimed that they were forced to change the face of the idol and replaced it with a traditional one.
The right-wing group's open denigration of Mahatma Gandhi has evoked sharp reactions from political quarters. Congress and the Trinamool Congress slammed the right-wing group with Bihar PCC spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari calling them a "bunch of illiterate people''. "There are a bunch of illiterate people who have their own ideology and they have been working for a long time against Gandhiji's ideology.
They are the people who consider Nathuram Godse as their god,” Tiwari told ETV Bharat. "I pray to god to give them some brain and also forgive them. Time will come, people will give them a true response,” he added.
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State President of Chhattisgarh Congress Media Department Sushil Anand Shukla also condemned the incident and said it was the "outcome of RSS, Godse mindset". "This is deplorable. The people of India will not accept it," he said. Rajasthan Congress spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi also questioned the right-wing group.
"Not only in India but in the entire world, Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence, peace, and brotherhood is being adopted. On the other hand, the sentiments of the country's 125 crore population have been hurt by the incident. The organization doing this should be given a place in jail," Chaturvedi told ETV Bharat.
Trinamool Congress also strongly criticised the right-wing group's actions. Speaking to ETV Bharat, Trinamool Congress state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "This is unbelievable. We don’t have words to express it. Nothing can be more demeaning. This has dampened the spirit of puja. The entire thing has come to the notice of the administration and they are taking appropriate action. Hope people will enjoy the puja”.
CPI leader D Raja, who is in Thiruvananthapuram, spoke to ETV Bharat over the phone and condemned the incident. "This is a highly condemnable incident. How can somebody denigrate Mahatma Gandhi who is the father of the nation? The State government should act against those who denigrated Gandhi ji like this. Police should act."
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Raja said that Mahatma Gandhi always stood for secular principles and fought against the British with utmost courage and stood for Hindu-Muslim unity. CPI national secretary Atul Anjan said the organisers played with the sentiments of the people. "This is also a clear disrespect shown to the father of the nation. We want that the organizer should tender an apology and at the same time police case should be registered against them,” Anjan to ETV Bharat.
Echoing the same view, former MP and CPM politburo member Hannan Mollah vehemently criticized the organiser and demanded strong punishment against them. “This is utter disrespect to the faith of the people. They (Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha) not only played with the sentiments of the people but also deliberately disrespected the father of the nation,” said Mollah.
Hindu Mahasabha justifies controversial move
Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha defended its actions. Hindu Mahasabha resident Ratnadev Suri alias Adbhut Baba talking to ETV Bharat said that "Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha will maintain its stand and will not hesitate to call Gandhi a murderer and an Asur."
Interestingly, the right-wing group on Sunday appeared surprised when asked about it, and even said that they were forced to replace the idol under pressure from the administration, something that Kolkata police has denied so far. It is worthy to note that although TMC has criticized the controversy, West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee's silence on it is being viewed with scepticism as she recently said that “all RSS workers are not bad and that PM Modi is not behind the latest ED row against the TMC workers”.
