The ruling party in West Bengal launched a sharp critique against the Bharatiya Janata Party following a tragic stampede at a Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata that resulted in 19 deaths. A high-ranking party official utilized social media to allege that a prominent opposition figure's relative was directly involved with the management of the festival alongside local BJP leaders and a regional legislator.
Responding to the mounting pressure, one of the named local politicians acknowledged his role as chairman of the puja committee while noting that an official investigation had already been initiated. The state's chief executive addressed the media to announce that the chief secretary would formally request the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to establish an inquiry committee led by a sitting judge. To ensure complete impartiality, the proposed investigative body will exclude representatives from both the local police force and municipal agencies, placing the actions of law enforcement and event organizers under direct scrutiny.
Simultaneously, political friction intensified over separate incidents involving Left party book stalls set up near various puja pandals across the city. Numerous social media clips emerged showing unidentified individuals dismantling the stalls and destroying literature, drawing strong condemnation from Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership who accused detractors of opposing education and knowledge. While a BJP spokesperson denied any involvement from the party, law enforcement authorities maintained that the structures were removed due to a lack of proper permits.
In an unusual show of cross-party solidarity, representatives from the ruling administration visited surviving Left book stalls to express support and purchase literature. Critics from the governing party argued that authorities had misplaced their priorities, alleging that police were deployed to clear out cultural stalls while a tragedy unfolded elsewhere in the metropolis.