As CM Banerjee wished the people on the beginning of ‘Devi Paksha’ (the fortnight of Goddess Durga’s worship) she also stated that “many have questioned, why are we celebrating the festival?”

“I should say to them — in Bengali, everyone says “baro mashe tero parbo (13 festivals in 12 months)”. We work and simultaneously celebrate festivals also. We also believe in religion. This is the happiness you can earn through walking with everybody,” Mamata Banerjee said.

While drawing the eyes of Durga at Chetla Agrani Club, CM Banerjee virtually inaugurated four hundred pujas of different districts of the state. “Maintain peace in your area during puja. Help police personnel to maintain law and order. Give special attention to mothers and sisters of the area,” she said.

Banerjee inaugurated the Durga pujas at Hatibagan in north Kolkata and at Selimpur, Babubagan, Jodhpur Park, 95 Pally and Chetla Agrani, known to be the domain of Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, in south Kolkata and said that her government has provided financial assistance to nearly 48,000 clubs in state for organising community Durga Puja.

As she inaugurated the festival issue of her party’s daily ‘Jago Bangla’ and an album comprising all songs composed by her, Banerjee also sang a song written by her.

Alleging that  some people are trying to tarnish the image of the state,  she said, “They will someday realise that they cannot absolve themselves of what they are doing.”

Mentioning the floods in many parts of West Bengal, the CM asked people to “stand beside” those who have “lost their homes”.

— with PTI Inputs

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