Protests erupt over BJP MPs presence at event in Howrah’s
The Statesman | 13 September 2025The mill, which falls under central government control, has not paid salaries since February, according to workers. They said their last wages came in January, leaving hundreds of families in severe financial distress ahead of the upcoming Durga Puja festival. Despite repeated appeals, they said authorities have failed to respond. Tensions flared when Bhattacharya arrived to inaugurate the “Narendra Cup,” a nationwide football tournament named after Swami Vivekananda. Workers, led by state sports minister and Trinamul Congress (TMC) legislator Manoj Tiwari blocked his convoy, demanding immediate payment of arrears and resumption of production at the mill.
“Workers came to me recently with their grievances. They have been struggling for months without pay. We have no objection to sports, but salaries and production should come first. BJP is trying to politicise even a football tournament,” Tiwari told reporters at the scene.
Bhattacharya appeared visibly taken aback by the demonstration but said the workers’ voices would be heard. “The concerns of labourers must be addressed. But such forms of protest are undesirable,” he said. He also rejected allegations of political motives, saying he was present only to inaugurate the tournament, which was being organised across India on the anniversary of Vivekananda’s historic Chicago address. Large contingents of police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel rushed to the spot as scuffles broke out between protesters and security forces. The situation was brought under control after several tense minutes.
In a sharp counterattack, Bhattacharya accused the TMC of shedding “crocodile tears” over the plight of mill workers while being responsible for the broader industrial decline of Bengal. “It was the Left that left the state’s industrial belt in ruins, but TMC handed over land to promoters for cut money. What has this government given the people besides extortion and illegal construction?” he asked. Bhattacharya insisted that only a BJP-led government could revive heavy industries in the state. “If people bring BJP to power in Bengal, the revival of industry is possible,” he said. The closure of the Arati Cotton Mill has become a flashpoint in Howrah, with thousands of workers and their families facing an uncertain future. As Puja season nears, their calls for pending wages have only grown louder, intensifying political tensions in the state’s industrial belt.
