Union Home Minister Amit Shah kicked off his Kolkata visit with a heartfelt prayer at the famous Kalighat Temple, where he worshipped Goddess Kali. On Friday, he made headlines by revealing he’d prayed to Goddess Durga for a fresh start in West Bengal after next year’s Assembly elections.
Speaking at the launch of the Durga Puja pandal in central Kolkata’s Santosh Mitra Square—organized by BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh—Shah shared his vision for the state. “I prayed to Maa Durga so that after the Assembly elections next year, the people of West Bengal get a government that leads the state toward prosperity,” he said. “Let peace return in West Bengal. Let’s build Bengal the way Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore dreamed.”
This year’s Puja theme at the pandal, called Operation Sindoor, spotlights the bravery of India’s armed forces. It honors their strike in May that took down terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Shah didn’t stop there. He voiced strong hopes that West Bengal will bounce back as a “safe, prosperous, and peaceful” state once the elections wrap up. He also offered his deepest condolences to the families of 10 people who lost their lives to electrocution amid heavy rains before Durga Puja. Eight of those tragedies happened right in Kolkata. “There had been torrential rainfall in West Bengal before the Durga Puja. A total of 10 people have died. I express my condolences to the families,” Shah noted.
Turning to the festivities, Shah praised Durga Puja as a world-famous celebration and wished it would guide West Bengal to better days. He tied it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s big goal of a “Vikshit Bharat,” or developed India, starting with a “prosperous Bengal.” “May the festival of Durga Puja in West Bengal lead the state toward prosperity. Let his dreams be fulfilled,” he added.
Shah also remembered the legendary educationist and reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar on his birth anniversary. “His contribution to academic development will never be forgotten. He dedicated his entire life to the Bengali language, Bengal’s traditions, and women’s education,” Shah said.
The minister landed in Kolkata on Thursday and highlighted how the whole nation is buzzing with Durga worship. “Be it the Durga Puja of West Bengal or the Garba-Ras of Gujarat, the entire country is engaged in the worship of Mother Durga with enthusiasm and devotion,” he remarked.
As West Bengal gears up for its vibrant Durga Puja celebrations and the 2026 Assembly polls, Shah’s words underscore BJP’s push for change in the state.
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