PTI
Kolkata
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said only followers of ‘Sanatan Dharma’ would be allowed to touch Durga idols during immersion in the Hooghly river, asserting that religious traditions must be
followed.
Adhikari made the statement while reviewing immersion arrangements at Babughat in Kolkata, accompanied by Kolkata police commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand and Kolkata municipal commissioner Smita Pandey.
“I have instructed the CP to keep the identification of those who will be involved in carrying the idols into the Hooghly river. Those who follow ‘Sanatan Dharma’ will touch the idols. There is no communal matter in it,”
he said.
The Chief Minister said arrangements had been strengthened this year, keeping in mind both the security concerns and the religious significance of the immersion rituals.
“To maintain the purity of the immersion, we have to follow the traditions, the scriptures and the rules that have been followed for several thousand years. This is a festival, but primarily it is a religious programme,” he said.
Adhikari said trolleys had been arranged instead of cranes following complaints.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been included in the arrangements this year to prevent any untoward incident, he said, adding that the police, disaster management authorities and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation could seek assistance from other agencies, including the Kolkata Port Trust, if required.
He also said the water would be cleaned after the immersion process concludes on October 24.
The Chief Minister expressed concern over the safety of people travelling in country boats to witness idol immersion in the Ichamati river at Taki in North 24 Parganas district.
“At least 200 country boats were expected to carry spectators during the immersion process. The administration had tried to discourage the practice but had to take local sentiments into account,” he said.
“We have taken precautions like providing lifejackets and measures to balance the weight, but we are still worried because most of them are country boats (dingi),” he added.
Adhikari said the BSF has been roped in to assist with arrangements at Taki.
