Bengal Chief Minister on Thursday took out a massive “apolitical” rally comprising people from all walks of life to thank the UNESCO for putting Durga Puja on the intangible cultural heritage list.

The four-km rally, a first of its kind organised a good one month before the commencement of the Pujas, was attended by a vast section of the civil society, players including, BCCI president Sourav Ganguli (who however attended the programme on the stage), school and college students and government employees.

The Chief Minister said “Durga Puja is an emotion t hat arises above parochial barriers and brings us together. It unites the magnificence of art with spirituality. We thank UNESCO for recognising Durga Puja as intangible cultural heritage and honouring the labour of love of everyone involved.”

Ganguli said how he had been to all parts of the world and seen festivities but “I can assure you that you will find how big Durga Puja celebrations is only when you come to Kolkata for all those 5-7 days.”

The opposition leaders, none of who attended the celebrations however called it a diversionary tactic of Banerjee to turn people’s attention from the burning issues of the State. “At a time when her leaders are going to jail, at a time when thousands of successful but deprived candidates who took school services exams are sitting in dharnas seeking justice, when cattle, coal, stone, sand and all kinds of smuggling have become the issue to be discussed … when the Government has failed to clear the 31 percent DA of its employees despite High Court order, the Chief Minister is shelling out 10s of crores to host such programmes,” said BJP State president Sukanto Majumdar.

CPI(M)’s Md Salim said “by forcing such programmes on the people Mamata Banerjee is trying to show that there would be no Durga Puja without her… But people will not forget the real issues.”