After denial of permission, BJP manages to perform Ganga Aarti in Kolkata

The BJP leadership saw the denial of permission as something which obstructs religious rights

A Ganga Aarti at a ghat along the river Hooghly in Kolkata by the BJP, asked to be deferred, saw a large number of party supporters turn up along the ghat, with police forced to remove many of them, including a few of the party’s local leader. BJP state president and supporters, however, managed to perform the aarti towards the evening at a nearby ghat.

Majumdar, on Monday, had tweeted that the Kolkata Police had denied permission for Ganga aarti that was scheduled to be held on Tuesday. He shared a copy of the letter issued by police which cited the gathering of a large number of pilgrims for Gangasagar Mela at Babughat, from where they travel to Gangasagar.

The letter added that on 10th January (Tuesday) a huge number of pilgrims are also expected to assemble, and the proposed programme (aarti) could cause traffic congestion and make pilgrims’ movement difficult.

Also, the G20 summit is in progress. Besides this event, police also have other regular commitments for which personnel have to be deployed. Thus, the BJP was asked to defer the aarti and apply again, once the Gangasagar Mela concludes.

The BJP leadership, however, saw this move as one which obstructs religious rights. Majumdar in a video message earlier mentioned that he would perform the aarti.

On Tuesday, Sajal Ghosh, a city BJP leader (municipal councillor) who had gone to the ghat to assess the preparation for the aarti, was moved away from the site by police. Several women representatives thereafter visited the ghat.

Towards the evening, Majumdar managed to perform aarti at another ghat along the same road. A large number of people congregated on the said road, and many of them chanted slogans. Majumdar, while walking to another spot after the aarti, was detained and was also moved away by police.

BJP’s national vice president Dilip Ghosh, in a tweet stated that the chief minister on the stage at G20 had said that we need to develop together. “But in reality we see that in Paschim Banga even Ganga Aarti is being stopped?” Ghosh said, questioning why is the state government “repeatedly obstructing our cultural and religious activities''. Ghosh alleged ‘intolerance’.