Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Costly appeasement” (September 23). If West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had egg on her face, after she got a rap on her knuckles from the Calcutta High Court which overruled her ban on the immersion of Durga idols on Vijaya Dashami day on account of Muharram, she has only herself to blame.
If Banerjee would have given a second thought before she sent out a tweet, announcing that Durga idol immersions would not be allowed on October 1, she could have spared herself the embarrassment. She could have tackled the immersion and Muharram processions easily by demarcating separate routes with heavy police arrangements.
Banerjee has to be especially alert. She knows it well that if communal clashes take place in Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party will benefit. Next year, West Bengal will go for rural polls that will be a rehearsal for the crucial lok Sabha election in 2019.