Massive security during the Durga Puja
The Bengal Government had made elaborate security bandobast even as Durga Puja celebrations picked up with millions of pandal hoppers flooding the streets of Kolkata and district towns on the Maha Shasthi (sixth day of the Puja) day on Sunday.
“Considering the fact that Durga Puja is one of the world’s biggest festivals and the fact that it has been drawing crowds in large numbers from all across Bengal and outside the State, the police have made elaborate security arrangements,” Additional Director General of Police Javed Shamim said, adding more than 15,000 police personnel were manning the Puja pandals in the districts.
Thousands of men in uniform, including Police and disaster management personnel, were deployed along with high-tech surveillance via CCTV, and specialised units were set up, senior officials in the Kolkata Police said. Earlier, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the State administration was keeping additional vigil on the situation with “lakhs of people coming to see Durga Puja 24x7 both in North and South Kolkata and the suburbs. while the rest of the population is enjoying their holidays, this is not so for the police men from officers down to the level of home guards; they are working around the clock to keep the traffic moving.”
Apart from around 15,000 police personnel along with 4,000 temporary home guards posted across the city, another few hundred constables with over 450 traffic sergeants were working on a 24-hour basis, a senior IPS officer at Kolkata Police headquarters said. Meanwhile, in a related development, the Puja organisers of Raja Santosh Mitra Square in North Kolkata alleged partisan “victimisation” by the Trinamool Congress Government, saying those in power were directing the Kolkata Police to harass the Puja organisers because of their saffron leanings. The Puja is organised by State BJP leader Sajal Ghosh and has special blessings of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who inaugurated the pandal a couple of days ago.
The special light and sound show depicting Operation Sindoor of the Indian Army against Pakistan post Pahalgam attack has been drawing massive crowds for the past several days, prompting the police to direct the Puja organisers to stop the show to avert any bigger crisis. Ghosh however, cried “victimisation,” saying “the Government is politically vindictive. it is getting the police to torture us by directing to stop the light and sound show, which is a patriotic event.” He threatened to stop the Puja and close the Pandal if he was forced to stop the show.
