Industries minister assures support for ‘sanatani’ Durga Pujas
Times of India | 23 July 2026
Kolkata: Industries minister Tapas Roy on Wednesday assured govt support for ‘sanatani’ Durga Pujas and said this year’s festivities would be conducted without the hurdles “faced in previous years”. Roy was at the Khuti Puja of the Mohammad Ali Park Durga Puja.
Roy also said there would be no objection if people referred to Mohammad Ali Park as “Mahabali Park”, claiming the park was earlier known by that name. This could not be independently verified. The remarks came as the Youth Association, which has been organising the puja at the venue for 57 years, conducted the Khuti Puja under its original banner despite efforts by a section to rename the park and organise the puja under Shree Mahabali Park Durgotsav Samity.
“I am assuring that sanatani Durga Pujas will get all the guidance and help from the govt. The chief minister has also said this. Last year, there were reports of mismanagement at Santosh Mitra Square. The crowd was diverted and people were made to walk for 3-4 km to see the idol. There were similar reports from other pujas, too. They either did it intentionally or they were inefficient. But this time, nothing of that sort will happen. This time, every puja committee will get all cooperation from the govt and the administration. We are not doing them a favour. Our sanatani pujas will get all possible help from the govt and the police,” Roy said.
Wednesday’s Khuti Puja was attended by Roy, Jorasanko MLA Vijay Ojha, former deputy mayor and ward 22 councillor Meena Devi Purohit, and members of the organising committee.
“The park was earlier named Mahabali Park. People who know about it have said. Later, it was named Mohammad Ali Park. If somebody calls it Mahabali Park, then we cannot stop them,” said Roy.
A senior Youth Association member reiterated that the organisers had neither changed the name of the Durga Puja nor sought a change in the park’s name. “If the govt changes the name of the park, then we do not have any problem. But we have neither changed the name of the puja nor applied for change in the name of the park,” the member said.
Youth Association members said at their meeting last week with Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, during which they invited him to attend both the Khuti Puja and the Durga Puja, Bhattacharya assured them of support if they faced any hurdles, and the meeting sent a clear signal to those attempting to take over the puja.