Siliguri (West Bengal) [India]: BJP MLA from Siliguri, Shankar Ghosh, led a protest on Sunday against the alleged assault of two Hindu devotees during Charak Puja rituals at the banks of the Mahananda River. Ghosh accused a member of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of being the primary perpetrator and slammed the state government for its alleged inaction.
“The main culprit in this incident is affiliated with the TMC, which is why no arrest order has been issued yet,” Ghosh told media. “If action is not taken within two days, I will call upon the entire Charak Puja Committee to launch a protest. Our Hindustan gave shelter to all communities in West Bengal, and today, the same state is witnessing attacks on Hindus. Despite having a Hindu Chief Minister, she remains silent on these attacks.”
Ghosh went on to allege that the current administration has created an atmosphere in West Bengal where, according to him, “being born Hindu feels like a sin.”
He elaborated on the incident, stating, “Yesterday, two boys from Ward 4 had gone to the Mahananda River to perform rituals for Charak Puja. Five boys sitting nearby allegedly threw a bottle at them. When the boys objected, they were assaulted. This is proof of the intolerable atmosphere that has been created under Mamata Banerjee’s government.”
He further referred to a separate incident in Samserganj, claiming that a family was targeted and killed for being Hindu, and pointed to recent unrest including vandalism of the BDO office and torching of police vehicles.
Charak Puja, celebrated on the last day of the Bengali calendar (Chaitra Sankranti), is a traditional festival dedicated to Lord Shiva. It involves dramatic ritual acts, including male devotees swinging from poles with hooks pierced through their skin, symbolizing devotion and endurance.
Meanwhile, tensions continue to rise across the state. Violent protests erupted recently in Murshidabad and Jangipur over the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025. Demonstrators clashed with police, hurled stones, and torched police vehicles.
According to West Bengal Police, three people died on Friday night in Murshidabad as a result of the violence. In response to the deteriorating situation, the Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of five BSF companies to assist state police. Inspector General (South Bengal Frontier) Karni Singh Shekhawat confirmed the deployment on Saturday.