State police clarify on Saraswati Puja misinformation regarding Barasat school
The Statesman | 25 January 2026
West Bengal Police on Saturday refuted allegations that the administration had issued directives to stop Saraswati Puja at a school in Barasat in North 24-Parganas district, calling such claims false and misleading.
The Barasat District Police in its X handle mentioned that certain posts circulating online were spreading incorrect narratives with the potential to disturb social harmony in the state.
“It has come to our notice that certain social media posts are circulating misleading and false narratives regarding Saraswati Puja in a school under Barasat PD jurisdiction. These claims are factually incorrect and have the potential to disturb social harmony,” the police said.
Clarifying the matter further, the police post read: “No directive had been issued by either the administration or the police to prohibit any religious observance. Decisions related to educational institutions are taken strictly within the framework of institutional norms and legal provisions.”
The state police urged people to refrain from sharing unverified or provocative content on social media and advised citizens to rely only on authentic and credible sources of information and asked users to report any misleading or inflammatory posts to the authorities.
Warning of punitive action against offenders, the police said people responsible for spreading misinformation would be dealt with through legal process and such misinformation and malicious narratives will not go unnoticed. “West Bengal Police continue to remain committed to its policy of zero tolerance towards malicious attempts to disrupt communal harmony,” the post read.
The clarification came amid allegations that Saraswati Puja had not been organised for a long time at Moinagadi Free Primary School in the Moyna area of Barasat. This year, local residents and students had planned to hold the puja on the school premises. However, they reportedly found the school gate locked when they arrived with the Saraswati idol on the morning of the puja, leading to claims that police prevented their entry.
The allegations were refuted, leading to the social media post by the police.